Flesh to Metal Version 1
by Tactition101
Summary: Transformers Prime Fic Waking up as a clone of Starscream wasn't anything I ever expected to have happen. Still, better a Cybertronian clone than a human
1. Chapter 1

Flesh to Metal Version 1

Summary: Waking up to the sight of Star Scream's ugly mug isn't something I was ever expecting. Still, better I came to as a cybertronian clone then as a human.

Waking Up To Stupidity

Story Start: Our Universe

The area around me was a mess. A blown-out tire from the front of a semi had caused it to careen out of control, taking out five different cars within the first five seconds of the accident and it had only gotten worst from there. I was on the tail end of the first twenty seconds and thanks to my pretty good reflexes had somehow managed to put my little Ford Ranger into a tail spin so that the back end had gotten crumpled and not me. Once my head had stopped ringing, I quickly got out of the cab from the passenger side and scrabbled to the side of the road, glad that I tended to stay in the fast lane whenever I went on freeways and highways simply on principle.

Screeching tires drew my attention as yet another car couldn't stop in time and I saw the mini-van slam into one of the already crumpled wrecks. Seeing the flames that started in both vehicles, I cursed before I rushed back to my truck's still open cab and flipped the back of the passenger seat forward to expose the small fire extinguisher and wonder-bar (mini crowbar) behind the seat. Grabbing both, I quickly rushed over and pulled the pin on the extinguisher, dousing the flames in its foam. Imminent explosions diverted, I helped the passengers get out of the cars only to discover that the driver of the car the mini-van had hit had his leg pinned under twisted metal. Thanking my foresight to grab the wonder-bar, I began prying the metal away from his leg, adrenalin aiding my already not so unimpressive strength and after about thirty seconds, the driver was just able to get his leg out. I had just enough time to wince at the mangled look of his ankle before I threw his left arm over my shoulder and began making my way back to the side of the road.

We were just beginning to pass the hood of my truck when yet again I heard tires screeching and I saw another car squealing as it came towards us to fast to stop. Tossing the driver the last few feet to the side of the road, I made to jump as well only to get hit by the car in the area of the driver side headlight, the force of the impact pinning me into the hood of my truck and causing my head to slam into the side of my truck directly above the wheel well and darkness filled my vision.

Scene Change: Transformers Prime Universe

I came to kneeling on a metal floor. As I automatically began to stand up, I noticed that I seemed to be moving in slow motion even as my muddled mind tried to make sense of my new surroundings and why my thought processes now seemed so strange. Then I was suddenly aware of a new set of memories that went far farther than any human's memory could possible go. My confusion only grew as I watched the life of Starscream from his point of view. As I came to a full upright position, I could only think one thing. 'Ah hell, I died and came back as a clone of the transformer version of Draco Malfoy.'

I was snapped out of that thought as I heard "Ah, like minded company. At last!" I watched as Starscream approached the first clone in the line and said "Esteemed members of my armada," Pulling back, he began walking the line towards me at the other end as he continued "You now stand on the very precipice of glory! To meet the destiny to which I have so tenaciously worked toward!"

He was cut off as the middle clone called out "Dynamic leadership of the Decipticons!"

As Starscream learned that the other four clones were just like him in terms of memories and thirst for power, I thought to myself 'No way am I getting killed a second time in twenty-four hours. Still, I need to play along until I can make my own play and either secure my existence from Megatron or better yet team up with the Autobots somehow.'

I followed the others as the original Starscream led the way outside, using the time to figure out how I was supposed to transform and fly as a jet. I figured out the proper 'program' and 'files' just as Starscream said "Fortunately, the Harbinger's tracking systems have remained synced to Megatron's warship. Of course, we shall require a means of reaching the-"

That was as far as he got before I followed my clone brethren's examples and transformed, hovering in the air. If I still had eyes at the moment I would roll them at Starscream's supposed test of if we could transform or not before he gave the order to take flight and snuff out Megatron's accursed spark. I hesitated just a second as the others blasted off before I followed them.

Scene Change: The Decpticon's Warship

The trip to the warship was silent between us, for which I was grateful, it gave me time to go over the schematics of the war ship that I 'remembered' along with coming up with a plan that would actually see me survive past the day's end. Honesty, what was the original Starscream thinking, sending us to the main base of a faction that outnumbered us a hundred to one right out the gate? It would have been a lot smarter to use his new numbers for guerilla strikes instead.

Once we were on board the warship I watched from the back as the lead clone gestured and said "Spread out, keep to the shadows."

Another clone frowned and said "Anyone of us is an instant target aboard this warship."

A third clone but a finger to his chin as he said "But to be seen together would be to sacrifice the element of surprise."

The fourth clone responded to that as he said "Whoever find's Megatron first, report your position."

As the others split away from me, I rolled my eyes and thought 'Yeah right, like I'm going to go look for the guy who named himself after the Fallen and survived as a gladiator in the pits of Kaon. Time to go find Bulkhead' Shaking my head, I instead began stealthily making my way to where the freight lift at the bottom of the ship was.

Ten minutes later, I smirked as I saw him trying to stealthily move backwards down the hallway he was in towards me and I tapped his right shoulder earning a startled "Whoa!" from the big guy as he turned around with guns glowing. He lowered them with a startled "Starscream?!" and I smirked as I said "Why is it whenever I come to my old stomping grounds, I find an Autobot roaming the halls?"

Bulkhead's optics narrowed as he said "Don't tell me you came crawling back to Megatron."

"Hardly, the original Starscream sent me and four other clones to as you once so elegantly put it 'Kick Bucket Head's bucket.' Always did like that saying myself." I said with a chuckle at the end.

"How did-?" Bulkhead started to ask with confused eyes before I finished "I know you had said that when I wasn't there? It's a long story, and not one I should tell when we're surrounded by enemies. For now, all you should know is that this particular clone would like to be an Autobot rather than a Decipticon."

"Then that means you're willing to show me the way out?" Bulkhead asked hopefully.

I shook my head and said "There is no way out for a land bound Cybertronian while we're so high in the air. If you want to get off this ship, then you're going to have to force it to land." Smirk returning to my face, I said "I personally recommend taking out the ship's power core." Pointing overhead, I continued "Simply follow those power conduits and you'll reach your target. And there's a com unit two corridors over if you want to call in back up, just take a right at the next intersection." I stepped around the Bot and began walking down the hall before I stopped and looked over my shoulder as I said "And one more thing Bulkhead, when you go on your next mission that's at the equator, bring a lot more than just two grenades, it'll be one of the hardest missions you ever been on."

"Uh-ok." Bulkhead said before he shook himself and said "Thanks for the intel, but what are you going to be doing now?"

I smirked at the former laborer and said "I've got a few things I want to take care of off this ship." Turning back forward, I rushed to the lift's location and as soon as the door opened I dove out of the open hole and turned into jet mode as I began making my way back to the Harbinger.

Scene Change: Above the Harbinger

I spotted my target pacing in front of the Harbinger and I mentally smirked as I thought 'Good, I don't have to go looking for you.' Landing out of sight behind the ship's rear most spikes, I quickly made my way down, staying out of sight along the ship's side before I reached the ground. When Starscream was pacing in the other direction, I quickly made my way to the last boulder beside him. I let him pace towards me and turn around again before I jumped over the boulder and lunged at him. Starscream had just enough time to turn around and widen his eyes in surprise before my sharpened digits took out his spark chamber like he had done to Cliff Jumper.

As Starscream's eyes dimmed, I pulled out my right hand with a sigh and said "Well, that's one former and future First Lieutenant of Megatron's taken care of. Now I just need to handle any other clones that manage to return." I began dragging the corpse inside the ship, already considering how I could use it to get the drop on the others.

Time Skip: Night Time

It had taken two hours to make the scene to my approval. It now looked like Starscream was standing over a console tracking the Nemesis and you had to be looking at him from the front to see any of the wires and metal rods that kept him standing upright. I meanwhile was hiding just beside the door in the shadows with my right hand in its blaster mode as I waited for the clone to arrive.

'I really hope I didn't change anything up there that'll come back to bite me in the ass.' I thought to myself for the tenth time before I heard the sound of metal on metal and I tensed as one of the clones opened the door. I watched as the clone did his little we have failed speech and then fired a missile at the corpse. The missile hit Starscream's back and knocked him to the ground. I could feel the surprise just rolling off the clone at the now visible rigging before I stepped up directly behind him and put my blaster to his head. He had just enough time to stiffen before I shot him and he too dropped to the ground.

I frowned down at the clone's corpse before I glance to the screen showing the Nemesis' position. Sighing, I walked out of the room and muttered "I better gather everything for when it's time to go to the Antarctic. I just hope Bulkhead follows my advice."


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Out In The Cold

Story Start: The Harbinger

It was time. An hour ago, the Harbinger's sensors had picked up a massive spike of dark Energon and I had watched as the ship made its way across the Atlantic. (And how Bulkhead could have possibly gotten across the ocean and more than halfway across the continental US within a few hours I will never know.) Now the dark Energon readings were gone and I was picking up four detachments of Decipticons ground bridging to four different continents at the exact same time. It was time to link up with Optimus and hope he was willing to listen.

"Of course," I muttered to myself as I used the remote for the ground bridge, "First I have to deal with Dreadwing. That should be fun, not." Giving a sigh as I hopped on the Decepticon version of a moped, I said "Well, nothing to it I suppose."

Scene Change: Antarctica

Driving out of the ground bridge portal, I shivered as I said "Brrrgh! Man, I really didn't prepare myself for the cold properly. Now, where are you Dreadwing?" I blinked as I heard the sound of high speed flight and looked behind me. Coming to a stop at the sight of two Decipticon drones flying towards me, I said "No way was I lucky enough to use the exact same coordinates as the tv show." The two drones shot overhead and came back around for a strafing run. I dove off the moped as it lit up in flames and gave it a flat look as I said "An inglorious end for an inglorious excuse for a transport."

The two drones slammed down in front of me and pointed their blasters at me. I rolled my eyes and said "Put those things away you two, I'm not here to fight."

The two drones traded looks just as Dreadwing dropped down with two other drones as he said "Then why are you here, Deserter?"

I gave my best shocked look as I said "Dreadwing?! What are you doing here in this system?! I thought Megatron had you taking out Wreckers!" I then cocked my head as I continued "Wait, are you here for Bulkhead? Cause that one might be kind of difficult to kill what with Optimus Prime being his team leader."

"I came here when I sensed my brother join the All Spark. Something you had to do with as I recall."

"Uh," I said, playing my part while ready to go for the big guy's throat if he started reaching over his back. Thankfully though, Dreadwing merely put the shackles around my wrists as he said "If it were up to me, I would end this, here, and now. But it is my duty as First Lieutenant to Megatron to render all traitors to my lord and master, for due punishment."

I blinked once and said "Right, have fun with that." Hearing the four drones' blasters activate, I gave the one on my right a flat look and said "I'm talking about the fact that within two years that post has changed hands three times and two of them were when Megatron tried to terminate the holder." I looked back at Dreadwing and said "I wonder when he will tire of you Dreadwing."

Dreadwing growled as he said "Do not try my patience traitor." Roughly grabbing me, he pushed me around him and said "Start walking."

"Yeah, yeah." I said as I started walking, the cons surrounding me as Dreadwing took up the forward position.

We walked in silence, the journey taking long enough for the sun to disappear and the stars to shine. Dreadwing looked up from his guidance tool as he said "We have arrived at the coordinates." I could practically feel his eyes widen as he saw the hole carved in the ice wall as he said "The relic, it has been taken."

As he ordered the drones to search the area, I cocked my head and thought 'Huh, they actually left those flimsy flags in an area known for its snowstorms.' I was drawn out of my thoughts as one of the drones returned and said "Commander Dreadwing, we have discovered vehicular tracks."

"The Autobots." Dreadwing growled but I shook my head and said "Perhaps, given the flags though, I'd put my money on humans being the ones who found this relic of yours first." Dreadwing snarled at me and made to grab me only for the sound of a semi make itself known and we all turned to watch as Optimus rolled onto the scene. As the big bot got closer, Dreadwing gestured at two drones and walked forward as he said "You two, guard the prisoner."

I rolled my eyes as they stepped closer, their blasters practically touching me as Optimus stopped a hundred feet from Dreadwing. Said bot called out "Optimus Prime, I will request only once that you hand over the relic."

"I was going to request the same from you." The Prime said, its eyes narrowing.

"Then it would seem that we are on equal footing, were it not for the fact that are five of us and only one of you."

I mentally scoffed at that and thought 'Yeah, like that's going to stop the guy.' The two had a Mexican standoff, Dreadwing making little body motions while Optimus stood firm and steady. As shown by his twitching, Dreadwing made the first move, pulling out his gun while the two drones by his side started firing. Optimus was quick to turn his hands into blasters and dodged the opening salvo and the two drones ran forward to get better accuracy only to wind up shot by Optimus for their troubles before he shot Dreadwing in the shoulder. This made him switch his gun to grenadier mode and fire three grenades in quick succession. Optimus ran forward and flipped over the projectiles before he jumped higher and transformed his right hand into a blade as he fell towards Dreadwing who blocked with his own sword.

The two began dueling with their swords before Dreadwing knocked Optimus off a nearby cliff with a flying tackle. I heard them go at it with their fists before Optimus fired a shot and the ice of the cliff began shattering as it collapsed. My two guards walked me down the ice to their level and I smirked as I quoted the original Starscream as I said "A stalemate would leave us, where?"

As the lead guard called out for Dreadwing, I glanced towards the drone slightly behind me on my right. As Optimus came out of the snow cloud and the two drones began firing, I lunged towards the back drone and pierced his neck with both hands. Turning so that the now dead drone blocked the other drone's shots, I watched as Optimus shot him dropping him to the floor. Dropping my meat shield, (or should that be metal shield? Mental hum and shrug) I said "Optimus, I can honestly say I'm glad you won." Lifting up my hands, I continued "If you wouldn't mind, could you get these off my hands before I help you find the relic?"

A charged blaster was my answer as Optimus said "You shall lead me there regardless Starscream."

I shrugged as I said "Worth a shot, wasn't it?" As we made our way up the hill back to where the relic had been, I said "And by the way, Starscream's dead. I killed him like the absolute idiot he was after he had sent us on that suicide mission."

"Then you are one of his clones. By chance are you the one who helped Bulkhead?" Optimus questioned.

"I am. You can call me Tac for now." I said as I spotted the vehicle tracks and began walking in the direction they led, whistling Henry Mancini's Baby Elephant Walk clearly showing I wasn't going to say anymore since Optimus hadn't freed my hands.

Scene Change: Human Base

I had whistled from Baby Elephant Walk, to March from the River Kwai and Colonel Bogey, transitioning straight to Police Academy and then whistled the Wild Wild West intro theme and a few others before we arrived at the base. I'm pretty sure anyone else would have snapped but surprisingly Optimus hadn't said anything though I would swear to both Log and Primus I heard the bot softly humming to Popcorn as I whistled it. I stopped mid whistle halfway through Raymond Scott's Powerhouse when we came in sight of the base and after a moment, I asked "What crazy person voluntarily comes down here and lives in such frigid looking buildings?" Seriously, those ware houses might as well have been sheet metal plated with how thin those walls looked.

Optimus ignored me, instead activating his coms as he said "Raphael, has Agent Fowler regained consciousness?" As Fowler answered he continued "I require access to a research facility at my current coordinates."

I shivered as Optimus' hand dropped from his 'ear' and said "I sure hope he's quick, it's getting far too cold out here for my liking."

"The current temperature is well within our tolerances; you will be fine." Optimus said calmly.

"Fine but miserable, I can normally handle cold better than heat but this is ridiculous." I muttered before the sound of helicopters filled the air and I blinked as I looked towards the base and said "That was rather fast."

As the three helicopters took off, Optimus thanked Agent Fowler before nudging me towards the base and we began walking again. We were soon on the base proper and a quick study of the tracks we had followed had me pointing to the farthest ware house as I said "I believe that is where the relic is stored Optimus."

"Very well." Optimus said as he followed me to said ware house. The semi opened the doors and we walked in towards the large block of ice. I tapped it as Optimus said "The relic remains sealed in the ice."

'Gee, I hadn't noticed, thanks Captain Obvious!' I mentally thought with a scoff even as I felt relief that the relic was what I thought it would be before we heard Dreadwing say behind us "I knew you were of questionable honor Starscream. But aiding the Autobots, that is a capital offense!"

I scoffed again as I turned around and said "You're one to talk about honor, using those bombs of yours to kill your victims from a distance rather than looking them in the optics as you kill them, assassin."

Dreadwing sneered at me but before he could say anything to that, Optimus took a step forward and said "Dreadwing, I cannot allow you to leave here with this relic."

"I know that Prime, but I do not intend to give you a choice." Dreadwing said before shooting his gun.

Optimus gave a battle cry as he tackled Dreadwing and the two went flying into the center of the base sending Dreadwing's gun skidding. As the two titans began going at it with fisticuffs, I sighed and said "I suppose I ought to help the noble idiot."

I smashed the ice apart with my manacles before I pulled the Apex Armor out and put it on. The armor whirred as it unfolded, snapping the manacles off with ease and I grinned as it gave me a good fifth in height as it finished settling on me. Turning around, I saw Dreadwing about to take a swing at a prone Optimus and I thought 'Uh-uh, not this time Dreadwing.' I charged out of the warehouse and with all of the inevitability of a freight train crushing a stalled Beatle I slammed into Dreadwing who only had time to turn with wide eyes before we were out of the base. I kept my arms wrapped around the usually bigger bot before I slammed into a wall of ice about six hundred feet from the base and slammed my foot into the bot just for good measure pushing him farther in.

As Dreadwing struggled to get out of the ice, I took ten steps back and turned as I heard Optimus' vehicle form rushing over. Grinning as he transformed a short distance in front of me and looked at me warily, I shrugged and said "What? Agent Fowler did say to try not to wreck the place did he not?"

Our attention was drawn back to Dreadwing as he got out of the ice he had been shoved into and he brandished his sword at me as he said "You dare to claim what rightfully belongs to Lord Megatron?!"

"And what do you intend to do about it oh great First Lieutenant?" I asked with a grin as I made the come gesture with my right hand. Dreadwing roared before he rushed forward and slammed his sword against the armor which surprisingly did nothing. (Not, really, it's the Apex Armor, what did he think would happen?) The mech had just enough time to look down at his sword before I grabbed his wrist with my left hand and began crushing it causing him to drop his sword and try to get my hand off with his left hand. I grabbed his left wrist with my right hand before I put my right foot on his chest and PUSHED. Dreadwing's roar of pain filled the ice plain we were in as his arms were ripped away from their sockets and he stumbled backwards as I dropped the separated limbs. Leaning down to pick up his sword, I said "Farewell Dreadwing, do say hello to your brother for me." The sword flashed as I decapitated the bot and his headless torso slammed into the ground followed by his head.

Turning around to face Optimus who had his sword out in the right arm and blaster with the left, I rolled my eyes and said "I'm not fighting you Optimus, put those away." Looking down at the sword in my hands, I hummed to myself before I said "I think I just might keep this. I should probably give Dreadwing's gun to Bulkhead though, it's a little big for me." Stabbing the sword into the ice, I took off the armor and held it out towards Optimus as I said "I hope this shows I don't intend to be your enemy."

Optimus returned his hands to normal and removed his face shield as he accepted the armor and he said "It does Tac, though I must say, I cannot condone the actions you took just now. They were much too extreme."

Picking up my new sword, I said "Yeah well, unfortunately it is very hard to quickly kill your opponent only with your fists and I didn't want to squish his head like a grape between them." Pulling out the ground bridge remote, I set it for the Harbinger and said "I'll worry about cleanup, you get back to your base in Jasper. Even if Bulkhead took my advice there's a good chance he's in critical condition right now. Once he's stable, come to the Harbinger and we will talk further."

Optimus' eyes widened at the fact I knew where his base was before he rushed to a spot two hundred feet away, his hand going to his com unit showing he was calling in an immediate ground bridge far enough away from mine not to cause a feedback loop. I watched him leave before I pushed the pieces of Dreadwing and his weapons into the portal before I closed the ground bridge. Taking a running start, I transformed into my jet mode and flew towards the area where we had fought the four drones in order to move their remains in order to ensure no humans found them. It'd probably be about a day or two before I heard from Optimus again.

FIN

Author's notes: I'm just going to go out and say that I plan to do a chapter of this story a day, maybe one every two days since I learned that hoarding chapters until I'm finished is just asking for Murphy to laugh at me as he steals all of my work from me. (I had an awesome My Little Pony/Digimon crossover that had Luna paired with a hacker during her banishment and now the two chapters and two thousand words I had for it are gone. ) Once I get the chapter for this story out of the way, I will work on the War-Alicorn and Fish Tales stories since they're both single documents without folders. Once I've gotten those done or this story done, whichever comes first, I'll work on the interrupted stories. So expect me to start working on those in about a month. Tac out.


	3. Chapter 3

3\. Tentative Welcome

Story Start: The Harbinger

I groaned as I stretched my back before looking at the five piles of rocks that served as graves for Dreadwing and the four drones that I had made at the base of the cliff the Harbinger was resting against. I glanced over at the two forms of the original Starscream and the clone I had killed and grimaced. Those two wouldn't be buried until Ratchet could use them to prove that I was who I said I was.

I was drawn from my thoughts as a ground bridge opened about two hundred feet away and I blinked in surprise as I saw Optimus and Bumblebee hop out of the bridge, followed a moment later by a sullen looking Arcee. Frowning at them, I waited until they were closer before I said "Optimus, it's only been a couple of hours, I wasn't expecting you for another day or two, is Bulkhead alright?"

"Bulkhead will be fine. He is suffering from Tox-En exposure but will make a full recovery." Optimus said and although he was stoic, I could hear the relief in his voice.

I nodded and said "So he took my advice that's good. What did he use on the mission? The Immobilizer, the Polarity Gauntlet, or did he just bring a whole case of grenades with him?"

" **Bulkhead took the Polarity Gauntlet with him."** Bumblebee said and I blinked as I looked at him and said "You have no idea how strange it is that I can actually understand what you're saying with that make shift voice box still in your throat."

The three bots traded confused looks before turning back to me and Arcee narrowed her eyes dangerously and said "And what's that supposed to mean?

I gave off a huff and pointed at the original Starscream's body as I said "Before I came into being here as a clone of Mr. Ugly over there, all I could hear from Bumblebee's voice box were beeps and tones. Well, in the Transformer's Prime show anyway, In the movies he used patches of radio transmissions to get his meaning across."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean? You're not making any sense." Arcee said with her eyes staying narrowed.

" **I believe Tac here is claiming that he was reincarnated from another dimension where we Cybertronians are fiction rather than fact."** Bumblebee said. As the rest of us stared at him, he shrugged and said **"What? I watch Stargate and Doctor Who occasionally."**

I shook my head and said "Bumblebee's pretty much nailed it in one." Turning to the two lookalike corpses, I said "Moving on, I thought it prudent to leave these two unburied until Ratchet could collaborate my story."

"That was most likely wise. Ratchet should be free to come in an hour once he has ensured that Bulkhead is out of danger." Optimus said as he looked at the two bodies. I nodded and said "In that case, I suppose I should tell you a few things from the show that could prove useful if they are actually true here. The most important of these things is this, the last four Iacon relics are essential in the restoration of your home planet."

The three Bots stiffened as Arcee said "You mean there's a chance we could all go home?!" The hope and sheer NEED that I was not having a prank on the three was almost physically painful to hear.

I nodded and said "There is, and I know where the final relic is. I don't have an accurate time frame but the Autobot who had been guarding Alpha Trion when Iacon fell is most likely on his way here in a Decipticon escape pod. Alpha Trion knocked the kid out and put the last relic in him since he didn't have time to launch the last relic and the kid got captured but managed to escape. He's been in stasis ever since though so he's still a kid just out of boot camp mentally." I turned to fully face Optimus and said "Probably even more importantly in the short run though is that I know how to get the Forge of Solis Prime from the Decpticon's warship without putting any of you guys in too much danger."

"Explain." Optimus ordered and I said "Pretty soon a small cache of Red Energon is going to be unearthed. We use the super speed it grants to swipe the forge from the vault." I gained a nasty grin and said "We could even have Raphael code up a few viruses to leave in the ship's systems while we're at it. Can you imagine how useful it would be to be able to find the Nemesis by just sending out a signal worldwide and having the ship uncloak for an hour or two? Maybe have the ship send us alerts whenever the Cons ground bridge somewhere or have it playing polka music over the com systems at random times or have systems glitch every once in a while, for no apparent reason. We could even hit the ship's Energon stores, taking every single cube we could find bulking up our supply while severely diminishing their own."

Arcee gained a just as evil grin as she said "Clone of the Con who killed one of my partners aside, I think I'm starting to like you kid."

" **Could we steal Knock Out's buffer while we're at it?"** Bumblebee asked and Arcee and I both started snickering at the thought.

"Those are certainly ideas worth considering if we do manage to claim red energon in the near future. I am curious about any other intel you have though." Optimus said calmly.

I nodded and said "Right, well besides the Omega Keys, the only Iacon relic that remains is the Star Saber. It's got a force field around it that prevents anyone not a Prime from removing it from the giant stone it's in. Moving to other things, Sylus is still alive and MECH's stuck him in Breakdown's body. He tries to align himself with Megatron using Project Damocles as his bartering chip. I'd recommend moving the satellite to another base. Let's see, Shockwave's still alive."

"What?!" Arcee asked with wide eyes.

I let out a little chuckle and said "Oh it gets better, he managed to make a Predacon clone that looks like a European style dragon and there are Predacon clone fossils all over this planet that he had made eons ago to terrorize Autobots stationed on this planet and then guard the energon stores on this planet that he could use to make even more. Oh, and these Predacons will have the same ability to transform as the rest of us Cybertronians though the dragon won't know how to at first. In the show Megatron wasn't too happy about that and had Project Predacon terminated via having the Autobots discover Shockwave's off site laboratory."

" **Well that doesn't sound good at all."** Bumblebee said earning a nod from Arcee.

I cocked my head and said "About the only other thing that I can think of from the tv show is that Ultra Magnus had joined up when Megatron took temporary control of the Omega Lock on Cybertron and used it to cyber-form an area near Jasper to make his new base of operations called Dark Mount and destroyed the Jasper base. Optimus destroyed the Omega Lock to prevent Earth from being completely cyber formed and Magnus followed the energy trail. And before you ask, Cybertron was restored when the Decipticons made another Omega Lock that hung from beneath the Nemesis that the Autobots then proceeded to capture." Glancing at Bumblebee with a smirk, I continued "You actually killed Megatron by running him through with the Star Saber during that battle."

Arcee looked at Bumblebee with wide eyes and even Optimus showed surprise as the scout pointed at himself with a finger in shock.

I nodded and said "The end of the show was just after that battle when you fire the Omega Lock down the Well of All Sparks down into Primus' core. There was a movie after that though where Unicron took over Megatron's corpse due to the link the Dark Energon in him provided. I'm hoping we can avoid the ending of that movie where Optimus sacrificed himself to trap Unicron's spirit in the reliquary that housed the All Spark though."

Somehow both Bumblebee and Arcee gave off the impression of paling from blood loss as they stared at Optimus in horror who in turn looked pensive. The last of the Primes shook his head once before he looked up and said "I thank you for all of this information Tac. Once Ratchet is free, I will send him here to collaborate that you are what you say you are. If he does, and I cannot see why he would not, you are free to come to our base with him."

I nodded at that and said "I'll be here waiting."

Optimus returned the nod before the three turned and began walking away, a ground bridge forming as they did so and the three Bots went through, the bridge closing behind them leaving me once more alone with seven dead Cons.

Time Skip: Two Hours Later

I walked through the Ground Bridge behind Ratchet, leaving seven graves behind us as we traveled to Jasper. Coming out on the other side, I looked around before I spotted Jack, Raphael, and Agent Fowler giving me wary looks. I sent them a nod before I looked around again and spotted Miko sitting on top of Bulkhead's chest, her arms wrapped around her knees. Walking over, I put Dreadwing's gun down as I said "Konichiwa Miko-chan, kare wa doshite imasu ka?" (Hello Miko, how is he doing?")

Miko looked up in surprise at hearing Japanese and her eyes widened at the sight of me. Cocking her head, she said "Anata wa nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" (You speak Japanese?)

I held my right thumb and finger a little bit apart and said "Sukoshi, watashi wa shitanuri anime o takusan mimashita." (A little, I watched a lot of subbed anime.)

Miko smirked and said "Sore wa anata no hidoi akusento o setsumei shite imasu." (That explains your terrible accent.)

I let out a chuckle before I took a knee and nodded at Bulkhead and said "Ratchet said he'll fully recover soon."

Miko nodded and said "They said I have you to thank for him not coming back in worst condition, so thanks." I gave a nod at that and stood up fully as I said "When he wakes up, tell him I brought him a get-well gift." I gestured at the gun and Miko's eyes lit up at the sight of it before she nodded to me.

Bumblebee walked over and said **"How about I give you a tour Tac."** I nodded and followed the scout as he began showing me around the base, relaxing for the first time since I 'woke' up in this world.

FIN

Author's Notes: I do know a few terms of Japanese. I used google to translate these though so if any of you are screaming "That's not Japanese!", that's why it's potentially wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

4\. Sword Lessons And The Other New Guy

I was following Bumblebee back into the entrance room of the base when we heard someone new talking to the others.

"Someone want to tell me how Dreadwing's gun got here?"

"That would have been my doing." I said as I laid optics on Wheeljack.

As expected, the Wrecker automatically leveled a blaster at me as he said "Who let HIM in here?!"

"Wheeljack, despite his appearance, Tac is not Starscream. Furthermore, if Bulkhead had not followed his advice, he would be much worse off than he is now." Optimus said as he put his hand on Wheeljack's shoulder.

Wheeljack reluctantly lowered his blaster and said "Someone care to explain that?"

"I'll take this one guys." I said as I walked fully into the room and said "Starscream found a lab on the derelict Harbinger that housed five protoforms. Using them, he cloned himself. I woke up in one of the clone bodies after I was apparently killed in a really bad highway accident. Needless to say, when the idiot decided to send us immediately on a suicide mission rather than play things smart with his newly found numbers I wasn't too impressed with the guy. As soon as I could get away from the other clones I returned to the Harbinger and killed the idiot along with one of the clones who had survived and came back to deliver Megatron Starscream's head. When I detected four groups of Decipticons ground bridging to four different continents I went to Antarctica to investigate and joined up with Optimus Prime in securing the Apex Armor. In the last fight, I took out Dreadwing using the armor and then gave the armor to Optimus as a show of good faith. The rest is pretty much straight forward." I glanced at Dreadwing's gun and said "As for the gun, that thing is far too big for me to properly use so I thought Bulkhead could use it." Pulling Dreadwing's sword from my back, I continued "I figured I could get some actual use from this though." I smirked at Wheeljack and said "Do you think you can show me how to use it? All I know about sword fighting is that the pointy end faces away from you."

Wheeljack was blinking as his blaster turned back into a hand and he said "That's quite a story." Then he registered my last couple of sentences and he smirked as he said "Sure, I can show you a few things. Just don't start complaining when I put a few dings in you."

I let out a grin and said "I'll take those dings for a chance to not look like a Jedi wannabe any-day."

Wheeljack's smirk widened at that as he said "Then follow me." The Wrecker led me back further into the base before we came to the wide-open area used mainly for target practice and drew one of his swords as he said "Just remember kid, you asked for this."

Time Skip: One Week Later

I let out a small groan from the floor as Wheeljack once more kicked my metallic backside. The past week's training had been brutal. Wheeljack was most definitely a teach by doing type person and my metal frame had been feeling the punishment such a form of teaching swordsmanship involved. On the plus side though, I had been forced to adapt if I didn't want to lose anything that would be hard to replace so it was working after a fashion.

As I quickly rolled to the side and sprung up to continue my 'lessons' Wheeljack spun his sword in his hand and said "I got to admit kid, dings and scratches aside, you're a pretty quick study. Give this another month and you might actually be able to start using that sword in a real fight where the other guy doesn't have a sword as well. What's really holding you back though is that frame of yours."

I winced and said "Yeah, when we go for the Forge I think I'm going to try and convince Optimus to use it to give me a sturdier body. I feel like a Primus damned glass canon in this one."

Wheeljack blinked and said "You think it can really do that?"

I nodded and said "It did it for Optimus in the show, and he was literally seconds away from dying when it worked. I can't see why it wouldn't work for me if he triggers the change." I snorted and said "Might be a good idea to use it to give all of you guys jet packs if it works. It's gotta suck not being able to properly fight someone shooting at you because they're too high to jump at."

"It does at that." Wheeljack said pensively before his eyes shifted to look behind me and I turned around to see Arcee standing in the doorway.

Arcee gestured to the hallway as she said "Lessons are over for the day guys, Raphael found the escape pod we were expecting." She then looked closer at my face and said "Huh, your optics finally turned blue."

I blinked at that and said "Must have been during the lesson today. They were still red this morning." I had been curious about why Autobots and Decipticons had different eye colors when technically they were both the same species. Ratchet had explained while he turned my Decipticon emblem into the Autobot insignia how the eyes of a Cybertronian were a reflection of one's moral stance. Blue represented those that followed Primus' path while red represented those who would bring chaos and destruction. Apparently since I had Starscream's memories, my eyes had remained red until my 'true spirit' was able to properly settle in. Ratchet had then theorized that the yellow of a Predacon's eyes reflected their bestial nature. Optimus had given a thirty-minute philosophy lecture after Ratchet's medical explanation that had me scratching my head a couple of times at the deep but sometimes confusing ideals the Last Prime had passed onto me.

Arcee merely gave an uninterested shrug at that before turning around and walking away. Wheeljack and I followed her to the control room where Ratchet was giving Bulkhead one last check over before letting him back in the field. Optimus looked over from where he was talking with Bumblebee and gestured to me to come over to him. Once I was close enough, he said "Tac, seeing as how this is your first mission with us and Smokescreen is likely to be in a shoot first ask later mindset, I believe it would be for the best if you remain in the skies and observe. Only engage the enemy if they come to you or on my command."

"Aye-aye chief." I said with a salute and Optimus nodded before Ratchet opened the ground bridge and the rest of the Autobots transformed and rolled through the portal. I took off at a run after them and once I cleared the portal took a running leap and transformed into my jet form and rocketed for the skies as they walked closer to the downed craft.

Not two seconds after I reached a good height of five hundred feet above the trees I heard blaster fire and heard the screech of Insecticons. A check below showed three of the damn things coming upwards towards me and I mentally tsked as Dreadwing's sword shot up from my back on a hinge I had Ratchet install two days ago and rested against my tail fin even as I fired one of my missiles at the lead bug. The missile detonated sending the bug spiraling down and the other two quickly split up trying to flank me. I went for the one going right and dove under him, my sword slicing into the beetle's right wing and sending him plummeting to the ground as well. The final beetle started firing at me and I took evasive maneuvers while climbing to get more height. I flew to seven hundred feet above the tree tops before I did a barrel roll (Not to be confused with an aileron roll which was what Peppy called a barrel roll and was completely useless. Stupid rabbit) and the con overshot me giving me all the opportunity I needed to tear him apart with my jet mode's forward guns. I rolled to the side to avoid the debris before I leveled out and took in the battle scene below my sword moving back across my back as I did so.

With both Wheeljack and Bulkhead present for this battle, it was a lot more tilted to the Autobot's side, all but one of the Cons already killed and the last one quickly falling to a combined shot from the two Wreckers. The battle was over so quick, I could see Smokescreen still running towards the fight, maybe thirty seconds from extreme blaster range.

I let out a chuckle when he reached the others and visibly sagged when he saw the fight was clearly over but then went all fanboy at the sight of Optimus. Optimus said a few words with him, most likely confirming who Smokescreen was and that he worked at Iacon like the show had said. After a few more minutes of conversation, I saw everyone look up towards me as Optimus said over the coms "Tac, you may come down now. Good work defending yourself against those three Insecticons. You did well for your first aerial battle."

"Understood, and thanks." I said before I dove down to the ground and transformed, landing in a three-point position before I stood up and walked over. I let out a soft scoff as Smokescreen said "Wow, he really does look just like that stiletto heeled freak Starscream." I returned fire with "And you really look like a kid straight out of boot camp, what's your point?"

" **Tac, play nice. You're still a rookie yourself, even if you do have Starscream's memories."** Bumblebee said in a chiding tone.

"Hey, I'm not the one calling the other new guy a freak." I said with crossed arms. I saw Smokescreen at least look a little sorry at his choice of words and I nodded before I turned to Optimus and said "Did you tell him about what we think Alpha Trion did?"

Optimus slightly shook his head and said "I thought it would be wiser to inform him back at the base." Smokescreen had obvious confusion on his face but surprisingly didn't say anything as Optimus activated his com and said "Raphael, open the ground bridge."

As the ground bridge opened, I glanced over at Smokescreen and said "Word of advice kid, Miko can be a bit enthusiastic so prepare for a bit of an interrogation when you get back." I walked into the ground bridge leaving an even more confused Smokescreen to follow as we headed back to Jasper.

Time Skip: One Hour Later

Wheeljack was once more knocking me all around the room now that the 'fun' was over. (His words, not mine) As I blocked an overhead swing with a grunt of effort, Wheeljack said "You know, after everything you told us about that kid becoming an honorary Wrecker once Bulkhead took him under his wing, I kind of expected the kid to be more impressive looking."

I grunted before I deflected Wheeljack's sword to the side and tried to sweep out his legs from underneath him only for the veteran to hop back before quickly coming back at me. As I did my best to not get any more dings on me than I already did, I said "The kid needs to grow up a little bit that's for sure, but let him have a go with the Phase Shifter and you'd be surprised. He was rather adept with that thing in the show."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Wheeljack said as he disarmed me before hooking his leg around one of my ankles and dropped me to the floor yet again. As he helped me get back to my feet again he said "So going back to your possible new frame once we swipe the Forge back from Megatron, do you intend to stick with your current vehicle form or are you going to get an upgrade?"

Picking up my sword, I twirled it once in my hand and said "Depends on if Agent Fowler is willing to let me have a go at some of the US military's hardware. If I get to be as big as Optimus or bigger than I might get something that can carry multiple passengers since we both know the kids are going to be getting into danger again and it might be a good idea to have a way to get them as far from a battle field as fast as possible."

"True that, especially if what you told me about what happened after Bulkhead's mission to the equator ever came true here. Honestly, what was that Wheeljack thinking, bringing Miko to the fight when Insecticons can easily follow the Jackhammer straight back to the base if they didn't shoot it down first. And not to mention not having more than one grenade on hand when fighting an Insecticon that had just fought another Wrecker?" Wheeljack asked as he shook his head before he put his full focus on the fight and conversation stopped as we both picked up the pace.

Time Skip

It was seven hours later when Arcee once more walked in. I saw her first and so noticed the very slight wince she gave when she saw all the little chip marks in my frame that weren't there before we picked up Smokescreen. Frowning slightly at Wheeljack for a moment, she turned back to me and said "Tac, I thought you would like to know that the red energon has been secured and we've started processing it."

I blinked and said "I see, I gotta admit, a part of me hurts that I wasn't even told it was found and another is stung that I didn't get to go with you guys. A much bigger part though is saying I'm thinking too much of myself and just say thanks for the info."

Arcee smirked and said "Well at least you're better at being one of the rookies than Smokescreen is, that kid needs to cool off a bit. I'll let you two get back to work, though Wheeljack, don't you think you're being a little too hard on him?" The last was said with another frown towards the Wrecker.

Wheeljack merely waved the hand not holding his sword though as he said "Nah, kid can handle it. He hasn't complained once yet."

"I see. Just remember Ratchet will be rather upset with you if he has to do unnecessary repair work." Arcee said before she turned and left the room.

Wheeljack rolled his eyes once she was out of earshot and said "It's like she doesn't trust me to know when I'm taking things too far."

"I think having Smoke here is just making her a bit tense." I said with a shrug before I lunged at the Wrecker without warning and he smirked as he caught my blade and said "So you want to play it that way huh?" The next three hours had me privately wishing I had Urahara from Bleach as my teacher as Wheeljack continued pounding swordsmanship into my now denser head.

FIN

Author's Note: It is REALLY hard getting Optimus' dialog sounding right.


	5. Chapter 5

5\. Taking On Frankenstein's Monster

Story Start: High Security Military Vault 16:30

It had been six days since the Bots had secured the red energon, and we only had three doses ready so far. If the Autobots didn't have enough equipment to turn a cube of energon into a liquid state within thirty minutes it would have taken even longer to get even that much. I was really starting to feel the deadline of when Megatron decided to go grave robbing so that he could make his Dark Star Saber creeping up on me, and it did not help that I didn't have even a clue of WHEN he would make that play after Optimus retrieved the Star Saber because the TV show had, No, DATES!

I couldn't let that get to me now though because I was currently in jet mode sitting on the ground, waiting for a certain human-con hybrid to show up at the military vault where Project Damocles was kept. The top brass of the military hadn't allowed us to take possession of the satellite or even move it from the vault to another one, citing the fact that it would make a VERY tempting target if even a whiff of the satellite being transported to another location got out, never mind the fact we could have ground bridged it to its new location. Which while it made a lot of sense still didn't change how frustrated Agent Fowler and the rest of us were with them. However, they did concede to allowing two Bots to guarding the satellite at all times with us allowed to call in reinforcements as needed and so here I was with Wheeljack during our shift. Me on a parking lot with a clear view of the main gate, (Let's face it, it was a military base, even if it was one big safe there would be at least one other entrance, even if it was a locked man hole into a small escape tunnel) while Wheeljack remained positioned in front of the building that housed the satellite. On top of that, Raphael had hacked one of the overhead satellites (Although I wasn't sure it could be considered hacking since Agent Fowler had given his personal thumbs up) and an Autobot was watching the feed 24/7 as well.

I was just finishing my check in with the vault security chief when my com line to the base came on and I heard Arcee say "Tac, Wheeljack, we have a vehicle matching Breakdown's vehicle form coming up to your location. Bulkhead and Smokescreen are coming through behind your position Wheeljack."

"Copy that, you're up kid." Wheeljack said and I sent an affirmative before I sent over the still open radio line with the security chief to begin having his men fall back at the first sign of the target getting past us. That done, I spun up my engine before I took off and shot low over the main gate and down the road leading up to it. Two miles down the road I did a flyby to the side of the vehicle and began a long loop as I said "Target confirmed as Silas, initiating harassment attacks."

Silas had screeched to a halt just before I passed him and as I made my long turn, his gun popped up out of his top and began tracking me. As soon as I saw it light up I began juking and dodging in the air, keeping from becoming an easy target, my guns firing when I had a shot adding to the harassment. I made three runs before the sound of Wheeljack and Smokescreen's engines announced their and Bulkhead's arrival as the two muscle cars pit maneuvered Silas from opposite corners turning him sideways just before Bulkhead rammed into him and knocked him on his side just like in the show and Bulkhead began pushing him further away from the base, Wheeljack and Smokescreen joining him on either side in order to help get him away fast enough.

They stopped when we were five miles away from the base and as Breakdown's body continued skidding Silas transformed and managed to stop his slide. Bulkhead and Smokescreen transformed in front of him while Wheeljack came to a spinning stop and transformed behind him as I landed and transformed next to him. Silas eyed us all before he cocked his head at me and said "Starscream, you managed to get a new T-Cog I see. Running with the Autobots now are we?"

"It's Tac actually, and Starscream's been dead for the last two weeks. Something which you should be as well Silas." I said with narrowed eyes.

"Is that so? Tell me, how did you know I was coming?" Silas asked with narrowed optics.

"That's for us to know and you to never find out." Wheeljack said as he drew his swords while Bulkhead's hands turned into their mace configurations. There was silence between the five of us before Wheeljack's face shield slid into place as he gave a battle cry and launched forward, swords flashing. Silas formed his hammer as Bulkhead joined in the fight and the battle was joined. Smokescreen and I began circling the fight while keeping our eyes on both the fight and the surroundings as we waited for the Decipticons to pick up Breakdown's corrupted signal.

Five minutes later Bulkhead and Wheeljack were knocking Silas around, giving him no rest when Smokescreen spotted the ground bridge opening and he said "Tac, we've got company coming!"

As Knockout came out of the portal with four drones he pointed towards the fight and said "Autobots!" Then he noticed me and said "Starscream?!" I smirked and said "Nope, but close, try his clone." The next instant my right missile was headed his way and the doctor let out a startled yelp and ducked the missile, the drone directly behind him taking the shot instead. That was all the distraction I needed to get into position with Smokescreen and we engaged the Decipticons as the two Wreckers behind us kept Silas busy. Smokescreen and I used our blasters while dodging the enemy fire to take out the drones before we began firing on Knockout alone. The doctor saw something behind us that made him panic and transform before tearing off like a bat out of hell. As the doctor made his escape blaster fire from the two Wreckers shot past us showing that they had finished dealing with Silas. Wheeljack's form quickly roared past us in pursuit and Smokescreen was quick to follow.

I glanced at Bulkhead in question and he nodded as he said "Go kid, I'll hold the fort down here."

I nodded and transformed, rocketing after the two and caught up just in time to see Knockout speed into a ground bridge. As Wheeljack and Smokescreen skidded to a stop, I came in for a landing and said "Damnit, it would have been really nice taking out Megatron's CMO."

"Don't worry kid, we'll get him eventually." Wheeljack said before he backed into a turn and began making his way back to the military vault, Smokescreen and I following to help with the cleanup. When we arrived, it was to the sight of the rest of the Autobots hauling Silas' remains through a ground bridge. It looked like the Harbinger was going to host an eighth grave.

FIN

Short I know, but future knowledge of events can prevent a lot of drama. Legacy is the next episode but there's going to be another chapter before that. Anyone who wants to leave a recommendation of what the Autobots do while using hyper speed feel free to PM me tonight while I'm at work before 8 AM Eastern Seaboard Time. Also, guys who leave Guest in your names, the review box is for reviews, not update requests, I said in a previous chapter I would get back on my older stories in about a month and I plan on keeping on that path, asking for updates won't change my schedule, so let me get this muse out of the way and then I'll start working on multiple stories again. I'd rather work on something that I can get out a chapter a day rather than work on something that is closer to a paragraph or two a day.


	6. Chapter 6

6\. High Speed Robbery

Story Start: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

It was finally time. We FINALLY had all of the red energon processed. A big chunk of red energon the size of a back hoe and we had barely enough to give eight people three minutes of hyper speed. And it only took sixteen days to make. This had better work or we were all screwed.

I stood in front of Ratchet's primary work station as all of the Autobots filed into the room. Agent Fowler stood at the top concrete shelf looking down as he leaned over the railing while Ralph sat next to his bank of computers on the lower shelf, Jack and Miko sitting in the chairs on either side of him. The kid was fiddling with his glasses every once in a while as he went over the work he had been doing for the past two weeks off and on when he had time. Once everyone was present, Optimus said "Seeing as how this mission is only possible thanks to the actions he has taken, Tac will be the mission leader. Thus, I shall allow him to explain."

Giving Optimus a nod and taking a fortifying if unneeded breath, I drew on my public speaking class that I took in the eighth grade and said "Gentlemen, and ladies." I said as I nodded to both Arcee and Miko before continuing "Operation Grab and Dash has the potential of being the most important mission ever taken by this specific team, and quite a few other teams as well." The three screens behind me switched to a picture of the now processed red energon as I continued "We currently have just enough red energon to give every single one of us Bots the ability to travel at hyper speed for three minutes. We are most likely going to need every nano second of that speed if we want to complete this mission one hundred percent."

The image behind me turned into a picture of the Nemesis, it's location on a world map, and finally on the last into a schematic of the ship as I continued "Operation Grab and Dash has three primary goals. Foremost, the recovery of the Forge of Solis Prime from Megatron's vault with the Decepticon's Resonance Blaster and any other valuables being secondary objectives if present." One of the rooms on the schematic flashed five times drawing attention to it as I said "Optimus and I will be forming the first team, heading straight to the vault to retrieve the Forge and anything else we can carry."

A couple of other rooms flashed as I continued "The second goal is resource denial. Team two will be comprised of two groups. swiping as much energon as possible from the energon vaults and power core room as possible. Bulkhead, you and Wheeljack will be one group while Bumblebee and Arcee will be the other. I've spent the last couple of weeks when I had free time making long bed hover platforms so you'll be able to each move ten rows of energon cubes stacked two wide and four high at a time. We will be ground bridging onto the ship from the power core room so leave that room for last."

Turning to Ratchet, I said "Ratchet, you and Smokescreen shall make the final team and your goal is just as important as retrieving the Forge." I gestured to Raphael as I continued "Raphael has been making several viruses both actually threatening and red herring that need to be uploaded into the ship's mainframe, chief among them a virus that will force the ship to decloak when it detects a specific signal is transmitted worldwide and another that will find the Iacon database and do its best to wipe it entirely out. This will be the first virus to run, hopefully distracting Soundwave long enough to let the other viruses get into the system. If we're lucky, he won't be able to stop it in time and it'll wipe out the last five coordinates. Raphael has made it so that all you have to do is plug in the data storage device it's on and once it is finished downloading it will completely wipe itself. On top of that, I have made the devices with a self-destruct device that will detonate as soon as it detects no more data in them. As soon as the file labeled BOOM is deleted at the end of the wipe, the device will be turned to scrap. Both of you will receive a device. While it is not paramount that both are used, it is preferable."

The two members of the last team nodded their acceptance and I looked at the screens as the images switched to show Megatron, Soundwave, and Knock Out. Looking back to the others, I saw their hard looks and said "Secondary objectives of the mission include the removal of Megatron and his two remaining inner circle members. If you manage to pass one of these three, then by all means put a blaster bolt through their spark chambers but do NOT go looking for them." I looked straight at Smokescreen as I said "We will be pushed for every amount of time we have. If the hyper speed wears off while you are still on that ship, the chances of your survival drop astronomically, do not go looking for glory and a quick end to the war." Smokescreen held his arms up defensively as I continued "The third and final objective is the destruction of the Insecticon hive and will be dealt with by everyone if they have time."

The schematic of the ship took up the three screens and a few rooms flashed as I continued "These rooms are where I believe the hive may be stationed when the beetles aren't on missions or patrol. Each room is in close proximity to at least one team's objectives. If your team finds the main collective, note the location and continue your mission. As soon as everyone is out, if we have found the gathering point of the hive then I will be sending a high explosive package provided by Agent Fowler to the room via ground bridge." Agent Fowler waved down at the Autobots with a smirk when they looked up at him before everyone focused back on me as I finished the briefing.

"For operational security, we will be ground bridging from the Harbinger using the remote control I found there. Once everyone is back and we have ensured that no one has gone through the bridge while we were on board the Nemesis we will bridge back to here. Mission Start Time is in one hour so I suggest you all study the Nemesis' schematics thoroughly before we bridge to the Harbinger. That is all."

I stepped away from the screens and walked over to the ground bridge as the others drew closer to the screen to study what routes they would need to take. The biggest change I could make to the timeline that I knew was about to come to pass, potentially throwing every piece of future knowledge I could take advantage of to the scrap heap. I just hoped I was doing the right thing.

Time Skip: One Hour Later Location: The Harbinger

I glanced at the Autobots arrayed in a circle around me. In each of our left hands were injectors with a red liquid held inside with timers on our left wrists set for three minutes that everyone had their right hands on ready to start. On my hip was the ground bridge remote control, only needing one final button push to activate the bridge. As each Autobot gave me a nod as I looked around the circle, I said "Mission start on my mark. Three, two, one, mark."

We all injected the energon and started the timers together before I opened the bridge and we zoomed through before it was even fully opened, the Energon gathering teams coming last while pulling their hover carts behind them.

Scene Change: The Harbinger

I shot out of the portal and immediately spotted the guard that was just opening the door to investigate the sound of the portal opening. A full force backhand coupled with my hyper speed on my way out sent him into the side of the hallway, crumpling his head and denting the wall, not that I would find that little detail out until later. I was too busy rushing down the hallways with Optimus hot on my tail as I ran for the vault holding the forge. Ten more drones were killed by me as we passed them, my sword taking off their heads as I passed them like the Calvary of old slaughtering helpless infantry.

Once at the vault, we paused only long enough for the door to open, the two guards posted pierced in the spark chamber by Optimus' blades as I typed in the code needed. Megatron hadn't even had the common sense to change the code when Starscream deserted, not like that would have stopped me from blowing the door away with one of my missiles if he had, but still it was rather stupid of him.

A quick survey had Optimus slinging the Forge onto his back and me grabbing the Resonance Blaster. We exited the room and quickly made our way to the two rooms we were supposed to check for the Insecticon collective. Seeing neither of the rooms were being used in that way, we took off back to the power core room and began bringing the energon cubes there into the portal, me taking three cubes at a time while Optimus moved five. We were joined by Ratchet and Smokescreen 'shortly' after as they returned from their mission even as the Wrecker pair came with their own set. Any Decepticon sent to the room was killed on sight, their bodies being used to make choke points in the hallway so that they would have to come into the hallway single file.

As the timers hit three seconds, everyone went through the portal one last time and I came out just as my own hyper speed went away. I closed the portal with a sigh of relief and said "Anyone injured?"

A round of negatives was my response and I nodded as I said "Let's make sure we're in the clear then we can start moving the energon back to base." We quickly moved out of the room we were in and began a quick but thorough search of the ship.

Scene Change: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

I couldn't help the wide grin on my face as I stared at the room that was filled wall to wall and ceiling to ceiling with energon. There was maybe five feet of free room in a room that could have easily fit a C-130 in it comfortably, and all of that energon was from the mission we just took, our original stores in a separate area.

Letting out the mad cackle I had been feeling ever since I laid eyes on the now much fuller room a minute ago, I turned around and walked back into the command center of the base and said "Energon thief team, WAY TO GO! I think if we got anymore Energon from the Decipticons we'd have to start leaving it in the hallways."

"Heh, can you imagine the look on Megatron's face when he learns what we did?" Bulkhead asked the room at large, a grin just as big if not even bigger on his face.

"We certainly put a huge dent in Megatron's war machine." Ratchet said in agreement.

"Dent, try giant hole in the fuel tank." Wheeljack sad with a smirk.

Optimus looked over towards the group from the recharge station he had used the Forge to make where said hammer was now recharging. The charging device was something I had convinced the big guy was needed not even a full day after the red energon had been secured, something that wasn't all that hard to do thankfully. After all, who knew how much juice the Forge's battery had lost over the eons of disuse? (And why the hell didn't Optimus do that in the show was beyond me since he KNEW the Forge's power wasn't unlimited) Walking over, he said "Autobots, we have accomplished much today. However, we must remain vigilant. While this will certainly be a setback to Megatron, I fear it will make him much more ruthless in the coming days."

I nodded and said "Yeah, and with the Forge in our hands now instead of Megatron's, I can't say with any certainty anymore if any of the future events I had an inkling of are even remotely likely to happen again."

"While having knowledge of events that would happen in the future was nice while it lasted, we have gotten by without it before Tac. And we can take solace that Megatron will never be able to craft his Dark Star Saber now." Ratchet said as he walked over and put a hand on my shoulder as he actually grinned at me and continued "You did well today young one."

"Un, anata wa kanzen ni kyo no otoko o shiri o kerimashita! Anata wa iwa!" Miko shouted across the room towards me with both hands making rock on gestures. (Yeah, you totally kicked but today, dude! You rock!)

I rubbed the back of my head at that before I blinked when I saw Optimus putting his hand on my other shoulder with a nod of his head as he said "You have done well Tac."

I could only let out a small chuckle as I gave a nod of thanks to that.

Time Skip: The Next Day

Everyone stood around the walls of the command center as I stood across Optimus with the Forge resting between us. Optimus had a pensive look on his face as he said "Are you certain of this Tac? Changing the body one's mind resides in is not a small decision to make."

I nodded and said "I'm certain Optimus, this frame is a constant reminder to everyone of what Starscream has done over the eons. If I wish to show that I am not him, then I can do no better than changing my form."

"You have more than proven this Tac, but very well." Optimus said as he placed a hand on the end of the Forge's handle and electricity began arching as the Forge's wheels began turning. Taking a quick gulp, I placed my hand over Optimus' and light filled the chamber as I felt my form begin to change.

The sensation of the change was truly indescribable but when it finished, the first thing I noticed was the fact that I was much closer to Optimus' height than I had been before. My eyes were looking directly at the bottom of his chin and as I stepped back from the Forge I could already feel that my form was much sturdier than it was previously.

I glanced at the main screens where a web cam was showing the room and I walked closer to it to take in a better look at my body. Shaking my head, I said "I don't believe it, I'm a Gundam now."

My primary color was hunter's green, black serving as my secondary color that spread around my body in Celtic looking markings. The four protrusions on my back had turned into two streamlined wings that were angled down and didn't actually add to my width though a quick flex showed that they could move outwards. Poking over my shoulders were a pair of sword hilts connected to swords that I instantly knew were the same length as a lightsaber normally was relative to my body height, and just as effective thanks to the high vibration capabilities of them. My head looked like the Starscream from Armada minus the little goatee point on my chin, with a face shield that gave my head the distinct Gundam look. My torso area was just a little wider than Bumblebee's and the body armor on me was reminiscent of a knight wearing plate armor, almost entirely all-encompassing but limiting my ability to bend how I needed very little. I had a pair of blasters that looked like the M9 Barretta that the Marine Corps used hanging in a pair of holsters, one on each side of my waist. My feet looked more like regular old tennis shoes than the heels I had before and a quick check showed two very small thrusters underneath them showing that it would be possible to use them in short bursts for increased speed and limited flight in bot mode.

Giving my body one last look over, I said "Well this could have been a lot worst. Not bad, not bad at all."

"Indeed Tac, your new body seems much more suited to you than your old one." Optimus said.

Turning around to look at the others, I said "That it does, Optimus." Turning to look at Wheeljack, I said "Think we could move up to two swords in our lessons?" Wheeljack's answering grin did not inspire confidence.


	7. Chapter 7

7\. Dog Fight: YF-12 VS MQ-1

Story Start: Unit-E's Primary Base of Operations

I stood in one of Unit-E's primary hangers as Fowler pulled in with a black jet that had two turbines, one in each short stubby wing. As he pulled up in front of me and popped the latch, Agent Fowler said "I hope you really appreciate this Tac. It wasn't easy getting one of the only three of these beauties ever made here, and even then, I had to have one of their pilots' tag along as well!" He pointed at the woman who was climbing out with him as he said "Do you know how much paperwork we had to go through to get Pilot Tanon here cleared to come here?"

"Oh I appreciate it alright Agent Fowler, and I'm guessing you had to cut down a redwood for all of the paper." I said staring at the work of art in front of me with appreciative (dare I say even star-struck) eyes. Pilot Tanon let out a laugh at that even as she lovingly stroked her plane once before walking to the side, stretching her arms as she did to work out the kinks of a long flight, Agent Fowler joining her.

Stepping forward, I scanned the Lockheed YF-12 and said "I can't believe you were able to get me the predecessor of the SR-71 Blackbird, this thing should make any Flyer type Vehicons wish they'd never came to earth."

"Damn right she will." 'Her' pilot said with a grin as I finished scanning and transformed into my new vehicle mode before turning back with a massive grin on my face that would have put a cat locked into an aviary overnight to shame.

Scene Change: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

It had been two days since I had gotten my new frame and a day after I had acquired my new vehicle mode. Wheeljack and I were currently circling each other, both occasionally spinning one of our two swords in our hands. Wheeljack had a smirk worthy of Sasuke Uchiha on his face as he said "So you think you can actually make me work for this one now that you have a better frame kid?"

I let a smirk of my own on my face as I said "Careful Wheeljack, they say the higher the hill the king resides on the longer he falls."

Wheeljack let out a laugh at that as he said "I got another saying for that one: Gundam Fight Article 1 Section Black, Subsection Blue, Rule 1. The Teacher shall always School the student."

"Heh, well school this!" I said before I launched forward with my boot jets giving me a boost of speed and shoulder tackled the Wrecker with the unexpected speed. Wheeljack immediately rolled back to his feet as soon as he hit the concrete and he lunged back at me with a massive grin on his face as he shouted "Oh now you're just asking for it!"

Four hours later Wheeljack was helping me to Ratchet's medical station more because Ratchet wanted to do another medical check on me after a good combat practice than any truly concerning injuries. As Ratchet looked me over, I glanced at where Optimus was still working and said "Has he had any luck tracking down where the Star Saber is yet?"

Ratchet made a humming sound as he scanned me. Shrugging, he said "He says slow but steady. I think he's getting close though."

As if that was a sign from the Fates, one of the screens that Optimus wasn't working at pinged before showing a map of eastern Asia showing a locator beacon had just activated. I blinked at that and said "Huh, and here I thought that kind of convenient occurrence only happened in TV shows and movies. Still, guess this means the cons have at least some of the database still."

Optimus frowned at the screen before he turned to me and said "Tac, investigate the beacon, if the coordinates match with the Iacon database entry once I decode it we shall follow."

I nodded and as I walked over to the bridge said "Put me in the air Ratchet."

"Understood." Ratchet said as he put in the coordinates. As soon as he turned on the bridge I fired my boot boosters and transformed as I entered the portal and shot out into cloudy sky. As I began rapidly speeding up to Mach 1 my sensors specially designed for picking up enemy aircraft pierced the clouds around me and I gave a mental grin as they almost immediately picked up a single target below and to the right of me in one of the thicker cloud banks heading in the opposite direction. My sensors picked up the false Iacon beacon rapidly falling as Soundwave released it so that way he could fly faster and the contact suddenly turned and sped away, well really more like trundled away to my new point of view. Soundwave's top speed of 135 miles per hour compared to my eighteen point seventy-five times faster Mach 3.3 was enough to make me howl with laughter as I kicked in the afterburners and easily began to catch up with him. As I got closer, my vibrational swords slid out of their sheaths on the end of my wing flaps and began to ominously hum as they began rapidly vibrating.

I was right on top of the voluntarily mute bastard and was about to slice him in half from back to front when suddenly without warning Soundwave dove to the side, spinning to get his wing tip away from my swords causing me to seriously overshoot. As I began a long turn to maintain my speed, my sensors picked up a Hellfire missile launch and I launched one of my three Hughes AIM 47As. The air to air missile intercepted the hypersonic Hellfire and the two detonated. I spun to the side of the fireball keeping my speed and launched a second Hughes at Soundwave's form. I was about a second away from shouting in triumph as the missile got close before I heard a loud ding and saw the missile glance off the top of the Predator's sensor dome.

"What the hell?!" I shouted as I once more shot past my opponent. As I began coming around, I figured out what happened and said "Son of a bitch reengaged the missile's safeties before it hit him!" I picked up another Hellfire launch and not wanting to waste my last missile, played chicken with it before I shot it with a blaster bolt causing it to detonate prematurely but forcing me to fly through its explosion cloud causing all kinds of dings to sound as the little pieces of shrapnel hit me. Not two seconds later, I had another tango on my screen as Soundwave deployed Laserbeak and they began flying in a wagon wheel formation in an effort to catch me while I focused on one of them.

Seeing this, I went vertical and punched through the clouds, heading towards the YF-12's ceiling of 90,000 ft. I climbed rapidly leaving the two tangos behind before I slowed to a stop and slowly flipped backwards until I was facing the ground before I punched the afterburners and rocketed to the ground even faster than before, quickly closing the distance between myself and the two. Both tried to get away but I easily locked onto the smaller target and was just about to slice it in half before a ground bridge suddenly appeared in front of me and I yelled out in shock as I quickly pulled up to avoid plowing into the ground of a desert. As I flew over the sand dunes fast enough to create my own personal sandstorm, I said "Tac to base, Soundwave pulled his relocation trick when I almost took out Laserbeak. Where am I Ratchet?"

"You're currently in the Sahara Desert Tac. Optimus and the others have already left for the next relic's coordinates. Decrease you air speed and land so that I can bridge you back and you can join them."

"Roger that." I said and I metaphorically slammed on the breaks before I transformed and took a skidding landing down one of the dunes, jumping the last thirty feet and running to bleed the last of my momentum. As I reached a speed that wasn't what you would normally see cars moving at down the highway a portal appeared in front of me and I ran right through into the base.

Coming to a skidding halt besides the medic, I said "How long since they left?"

Ratchet had what on anyone else could have been a smirk on his face as he said "Literally ten seconds after you left Optimus decrypted the coordinates."

I let out a snicker at that and said "Good thing they sent me after Soundwave then, I bet Megatron was quite put out when he saw them so soon after deploying his little decoy."

"I'm quite certain he was." Ratchet said in agreement as he put in the new coordinates and said "Due to the Nemesis being there and the fact I don't want to activate the decloaking virus unless it is an extreme emergency, I'm bridging you to a point just inside of the tree line."

"Got it, wait till I'm on the other side before transforming." I said before the ground bridge opened again and I ran through. As I looked around, I saw the others watching the Decipticons work to expose the Relic. Wheeljack waved me over and I said "Letting the Cons do the heavy lifting for you? I approve."

"Glad we have your approval newbie." Arcee said wryly before she looked over at me and said "What happened on your end?"

"I took Soundwave on in a dogfight. Learned a bit during it before he Ground Bridged me to the Sahara Desert after I almost sliced Laserbeak in half. Apparently, the guy can rearm missile safeties before they hit him." I said with a frown, still sore that I apparently couldn't just shoot the bastard down with missiles from extreme range.

"You duked it out with Soundwave in the air?! Oh man, I bet it was epic!" Smokescreen said with wide eyes.

I snorted and said "A predator drone against a YF-12? You do realize that he could only go a hundred and thirty-five miles while I can go at Mach 3.3 yes? Honestly, the only reason that guy lasted as long as he did was because he had a pair of hypersonic Hellfire missiles on him. Apparently, the cons now know the Autobots finally have a flyer on their side." I smirked and continued "Not that it really helped. They should have gone with a couple of Hughes if they wanted to take me down. Hellfire missiles are primarily air to surface missiles after all and not air to air."

"We get it Tac, you're the new king of the skies, all hail the Royal Tack." Arcee said with a slight frown as she looked back towards the cons.

I sighed and said "I did come off as arrogant just now didn't I? I apologize for that but the YF-12 is the third fastest jet out there, only outmatched by its successor the SR-71 Blackbird and the North American X-15 and the last one needs a B-52 to get it to proper height and uses freaking ROCKET thrusters to steer as it flies. It's kind of hard to get down from the high so much speed provides."

"I believe it will become much easier to deal with the excitement your new vehicle form gives you as you grow used to it. As for your battle with Soundwave, well done Tac." Optimus said as he looked over towards me with a nod.

I nodded back but before I could respond, the sound of blaster fire rang out and we all looked over to see that Megatron had just failed to remove the Star Saber. We all tensed as Optimus said "Autobots it is time to move. Tac, if they attach a line to the mountain during the battle, I want you to immediately cut it."

"You got it chief." I said as I drew my pistols since Wheeljack still hadn't cleared me for using my swords in battle yet.

Bulkhead smirked as he pulled Dreadwing's gun off his back and he said "I've been itching to finally get a reason to use this."

"Autobots, attack!" Optimus called and we stormed out of the woods, taking shots as we ran and completely catching the Cons with their pants down. I shot one drone in the leg and he fell to the knee before a second shot by Bumblebee took him out. As we continued getting closer, my shots got more accurate and I began scoring torso and head shots. We were halfway to the relic when my sensors picked up multiple contacts coming from the ship above us. Not even thinking about it, I jumped up into the air and rocketed up to them with my boot thrusters. My right blaster took out the leading drone and I landed on its smoking form before jumping into a summersault and landed on the second one, my left blaster shooting into him as my right tracked a third drone and clipped its wings. Jumping off my temporary perch, I transformed to jet mode and began dogfighting with the others, my third and final Hughes taking out one of the drones that had continued onto the rest of the Autobots instead of engaging me and sending it to the floor in a smoking heap. Apparently either Soundwave didn't return yet or the ship's metallic hull prevented him from taking over my missiles. Well that, or he just didn't bother to take control which was rather cold of him. Mini experiment over, I extended my blades and began performing hit and run maneuvers on the enemy tangos, rapidly accelerating and decelerating to keep the Cons guessing where I'd be even as I tore through them with my swords and blasters.

As the last drone fell, I heard Bumblebee call out over the com **"Tac, they're preparing to tow the rock the Star Saber's in away from the battlefield!"**

"Understood." I said as I focused on said rock and saw the line. I flew between the ship and the rock slicing the line about a hundred feet over the claw and the giant stone dropped back into its original place with a massive reverberating THUD. Megatron's scream of rage was music to my ears as I came around in a long pass only to see Megatron and Optimus duking it out in a furious fight to the death as the Dark Lord battled to desperately keep the prize away from the Last Prime. A shot by Arcee to Megatron's side managed to tip the scale to Optimus' favor and he managed to knock the Gladiator to the side and make a run for the Star Saber. Megatron let out another yell and began chasing him while firing his gun only to stop short as I did a strafing run and nearly took him out not only with my blasters but my left sword that hummed dangerously as I shot past and landed a safe distance away, skidding into a halt as I looked back. That distraction was all Optimus needed to get his hand on the sword and from there it became a turkey shoot.

Megatron seemed to pale when he saw Optimus claim the sword and he immediately ordered a full retreat, him and the remaining flyer vehicons and Insecticons making a run for the nemesis while the car drones quickly sprinted into a ground bridge that appeared. As the Nemesis went into retreat, Optimus left them with the same present he did in the show, causing the giant ship to spew smoke as it bugged the hell out.

I watched the Nemesis leave with a frown as I wondered to myself just how Megatron would respond now that the Forge was with us instead of him. They said Fate would always find a way, and I was not looking forward to learning what that way would be.

FIN

Author's Notes: So Optimus now has the Star Saber and with the Forge in the Autobots possession this time, the odds are not looking good for Megatron. But come on, we know the guy's going to come up with a way to swing the odds back into his favor again. The gundam quote is a contribution brought ot my attention by Reishin Amara


	8. Chapter 8

8\. Droideka VS Jedi

Story Start: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

Smokescreen had just mimicked Optimus launching a blade of energy at the Nemesis when the sword said blade came from began glowing. Cocking my head as Optimus held the sword up and began receiving Alpha Trion's message, I muttered to myself "I wonder if the Master Archivist knew I'd show up. The covenant of Primus does describe future events as well as past events after all."

As Optimus suddenly took a knee as the sword stopped glowing, he looked towards me and said "Tac, Alpha Trion stated that based on his readings of the Covenant of Primus, you tossed a mountain in the time stream's river, forcing the river to adjust but not altering its course any truly noticeable way."

"I-I see. Well, that's slightly concerning considering what I know is going to happen soon." I said with a large frown on my face.

"So did Alpha Trion mention me at all?" Smokescreen asked hopefully. Not that I could blame the kid, the Big A DID use him as a carrier of the fourth Omega Key which was placed in our own vault as soon as Smokescreen first set foot in this base.

To my absolute shock and awe, Optimus grinned, actually GRINNED at Smokescreen as he answered "He said something about you tripping into the Statue of Solis Prime on your first day as his guard and he barely managing to save it from destruction."

Smokescreen's jaw dropped as a look of absolute horror filled his optics. As everyone else laughed at the poor kid he dropped his face into his hands and groaned.

I let out a small chuckle at that before I raised an eyebrow as Optimus put a hand on the rookie's shoulder and said "He also said that your instincts proved you well in many of the combat sims he had you run."

Smokescreen looked up at that as Optimus patted his shoulder before he continued walking to his computer station as he said "I must locate the resting place of the three Omega keys not in our position. I must not waver for a moment."

"First key's in Egypt Optimus, near a sphinx and collection of other small Pyramids if that helps." I said walking over.

"It does Tac." Optimus said as he pulled up a map of said country and studied the longitude and latitude numbers before he dove back into the Iacon database.

As Optimus worked Wheeljack walked over and said "Come on kid, if things are picking up to the endgame, we need you ready to use those swords of yours in the field."

I nodded and we walked off to get me as ready as possible.

Time Skip: Eighteen Hours Later Location: Ancient Egypt

I watched Smokescreen and Arcee enter the temple and for the first time cursed the fact that I was almost as big as Optimus now. Giving a sigh, I began sprinting around the structure planning to come back around up top. With any luck, I could get the drop on Megatron when he showed up, if he showed up.

It unfortunately in fact didn't take long for Megatron to show up. Just as the sun was setting, a bridge opened and he stepped out. I could only gape at what he held in his right hand, the gun being half as tall as the Decepticon leader and almost just as long with two rotary barrel protrusions and a third barrel twice as big as the barrels of the rotary components nestled in between. And glowing ominously at the end, a very long compartment that reached upwards to his shoulder and holding a whole lot of processed Dark Energon. The gun had a sight on its side showing that it was made to fire from the large Con's shoulder and I did not want to be in that thing's cross hairs.

Gulping, I crawled back to a point where I couldn't be seen or heard and said "Tac to base, we've got a serious problem. Megatron's here, and he seems to have made some kind of super Gatling gun that shoots Dark Energon."

"Understood. Remain hidden and observe only for now Tac." Optimus said over the com. A minute later, I saw the ground bridge open at its original coordinates, thankfully unseen by Megatron who was focused on the entrance Arcee and Smokescreen walked through. As Optimus began to slowly make his way over in order to avoid drawing attention before he was close enough to effectively fight, I crawled forward just far enough to hear things at the entrance.

A couple of minutes later, I heard Arcee and Smokescreen exit the building and I heard Megatron say "The relic, if you please."

Smokescreen's "Two on one, we can take him." Almost had me facepalm before I stood up and walked to the edge of the building, my right pistol drawn and left sword humming in my hand as I said "I took out Starscream and Dreadwing Megatron, and I almost took out Soundwave before he made me fly through a ground bridge away from our battle. I like my odds of taking out another flier."

Megatron sneered up at me and put his weapon on his shoulder as he said "So you're the reason why Dreadwing never returned. No matter, you will not survive this." The rotary barrels began spinning but it wasn't them that fired. That was the middle barrel that spat out a single glowing round. Either way, I was already moving, my boot thrusters firing as I jumped to the side and off the building. The round went wide before detonating in the air, the explosion wide enough to encompass three Cybertronians of my size.

Rolling to a crouch upon landing, I glanced up at the remains of the explosion and said "Well we're fucked." Blaster fire drew my attention back forward as Smokescreen began shooting at Megatron, Arcee quickly following suit. I joined them as I began firing, watching as Optimus abandoned subtlety and went Semi to get here as fast as possible. Megatron focused on me again and his rotary canons started firing this time and it was all I could do to stay ahead of the bullets, my boot thrusters working over-time to keep me from becoming swiss cheese. Luckily I only had to run for fifteen seconds before a wave of blue energy slammed into Megatron's side sending him flying.

Optimus stepped in front of where Megatron had landed, placing him between us and him as he said "Megatron, I cannot allow you to obtain this relic."

Megatron chuckled as he stood back up and said "Your Star Saber may be powerful Optimus Prime, but it will not protect you from my latest creation, the Dark Devastator."

"Will that thing protect you from this?" I asked, my chest armor piece opening up a little and one of my three Hughes missiles popping out of the side that I slid onto my right pistol, the missile sliding into a slot on the top. I leveled my pistol at Megatron and pulled the trigger, the missile roaring as it launched itself at the Dark Lord. The missile hit and detonated, throwing up a large cloud of smoke and thrown up sand. We kept our weapons trained on the spot as it cleared only for us three non-Prime's eyes to widen when it cleared showing that Megatron had blocked the shot with his new weapon. A weapon that besides a black spot of soot looked like it took no damage whatsoever, even the container holding the dark energon fuel didn't even look scratched.

"Everyone fall back, leave Megatron to me!" Optimus ordered and the three of us without a super weapon wasted no time following that order, deassing the area and taking cover behind the various chunks of ruins lying around in the sand. As I sheathed the sword in my left hand I called out to the other two "I can't believe that thing tanked a Hughes missile without getting a scratch! Inconsiderate bastard could have at least had the decency to have a crack in it afterwards."

Smokescreen let out a nervous chuckle at that but all of our attention sharpened as Megatron began firing on Optimus, the high velocity rounds being deflected by the Star Saber as Optimus began swinging the sword around like a Jedi fighting one of the Trade Federation's Droideka destroyer droids. While the rotary guns were firing Megatron shot the middle barrel again and Optimus was forced to jump clear of the detonation, just barley clearing the explosion before he was once more forced to deflect the Dark Energon rounds again. As Optimus deflected the shots he began to slowly but surely work his way closer to Megatron. Megatron of course wasn't having that and every step Optimus took, he took as well. From my vantage point, I saw what Optimus was doing and I smirked as Megatron got closer and closer to a small bit of ruins that was only sticking about a foot out of the sand. Megatron finally reached the obstacle and his foot caught on it wrong and down he went.

Optimus wasted no time taking advantage of Megatron's stumble, launching a wave of energy from the Star Saber that sent Megatron flying into one of the pyramids. As a debris cloud spread we heard the sound of rocks crumbling and when it was over, we saw that the top quarter of the pyramid had collapsed on itself, burying Megatron in it. Unfortunately, Megatron had managed to hold onto his gun so we couldn't just pick it up and bug the hell out. Optimus stared towards the pyramid for a moment before he sent over the com "Ratchet, reopen the ground bridge."

The portal appeared and the four of us quickly retreated, Omega Key number two in our possession and now knowing of Megatron's answer to the Star Saber.

FIN


	9. Chapter 9

9\. Completing The Set

Story Start: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

I let out a battle yell as I locked my right blade with Wheeljack's left, my own left blade sliding under our hands for a pierce only for him to disengage with a twirl and bring his right sword down towards my head. I tilted my head and body to start a spin and the blade just barely dodged me before I continued the spin and slammed a round house kick toward the Wrecker. Wheeljack caught the kick but I used the trapped leg as a lever and slammed my other foot up into his chin, back flipping as he let my leg go. Wheeljack stumbled back a step and rubbed his chin once as he grinned and said "You're getting better at using more than just your blades when you fight kid."

We met together again and our blades flashed as our feet danced, both of our feet leaving the floor multiple times in acrobatics trying to get an edge on the other as we moved from one end of the room to the other. We went back and forward like this before a sharp whistle sound had us freezing, one of my swords posed just over his right shoulder that he was bringing a sword up to deflect while he had his other sword near my throat that I was already in the process of weaving away from. We both shifted our eyes to see Bumblebee was looking in.

" **Gear up you two, Optimus has almost finished decoding the next Iacon entry and he wants you two to go get it."** The scout said.

I blinked and said "Us, not you and Arcee?" At the scout's nod, we stepped away from each other and I said "Strange, I would have thought he wouldn't have trusted my combat abilities that much yet."

Wheeljack shook his head as he sheathed his swords and said "Don't be so hard on yourself kid, you're a surprisingly fast study when it comes to fighting."

" **I think it has more to do with the fact that if Megatron himself pops up to claim this one Tac can get it out of there much faster than any of the rest of us can."** Bumblebee said with a shrug.

"That's probably it too." I said with a nod sheathing my own swords. We followed Bumblebee into the control center where just as the Scout had said, Optimus was decrypting the last part of the entry. Twenty seconds later, the last part joined the others and he said "The next set of coordinates are decrypted. Wheeljack, Tac, be on your guard. And if Megatron is there, immediately call for back up. Tac, if Megatron is indeed there, your priority is to get the Omega Key as far from Megatron's reach as possible."

I nodded and said "Got it chief." The ground bridge activated and Wheeljack and I sprinted through. We came out on the dock that was built to give boaters access to what was no doubt a rather popular local mystery and skidded to a stop at the sight that awaited us.

Wheeljack blinked and said "I thought you tossed a bomb into the Inseticon cave."

"So did I." I said with a frown.

Standing in front of us were twenty Inseticons, several more standing on top of the cliff surrounding the giant rock the relic container was on. Knockout walked out from behind the massive boulder with a smirk as he said "It seems like you boys have a bit of a bug problem on your hands." Dramatically pointing at us, he yelled "Crush them!"

Several of the Inseticons let out battle screeches as the ones closest to us began running forwards. Wheeljack and I both slid our face shields on as we drew our swords and mine started to hum as they began rapidly vibrating before we launched forward to get off the dock and onto solid ground. My blades flashed as I reached the first bug and I sliced both his arms off like I was cutting through a foam target. I beheaded him for good measure before ducking under a slash from the guy's friend and took his legs out from under him with a leg sweep before my boot thruster blasted half his head off as I leaped for the next bug. Fifty feet from me Wheeljack was a whirling dervish as he sliced left right and center, not staying in one area for any time at all and actually using the bugs as stepping stones and launching platforms as he made his way to the mad doctor.

He got to Knock Out first who had immediately made a run for the relic. The wrecker landed in front of Knock Out on the rock just as the doctor had grabbed the key and slammed a kick into his torso sending him flying into the cliff wall hard enough to leave a dent in the rock before he fell to the ground. Wheeljack let out a battle cry as he pursued slicing another Insecticon's head off as he jumped. By that time, I had taken out the last few bugs around me and the fifty or so on the wall finally got it through their thick skulls that maybe they should start shooting.

I ducked as a blaster bolt almost took my head off before I sheathed my swords and drew my pistols. As I began using my boot thrusters to make long dodging jumps I used my right pistol to fire blue bolts back while my chest piece opened and I slotted one of my missiles onto the left pistol. A quick moment to aim and my left gun fired, launching the missile that slammed into the cliff wall and detonated tossing three of the bugs into the air in pieces and a couple of the surrounding bugs back into the surrounding woods as well. A second missile popped out on my right side and I shot it at the other side of the cliff as my left blaster fired and even more bug parts rained down. I loaded my last missile on my left slide and it slammed into the middle of the cliff. Missiles spent, I turned to the right side of the cliff and quickly ran a few steps before I launched myself to the top. Once there, I swapped my right pistol with its sword counterpart as I started running along the cliff, my pistol firing random shots across to the remaining Insecticons across the gap to keep their heads down while I dealt with the bugs on my side. Wheeljack's own blaster fire joined the barrage and took out more of the bugs than I was as he was allowed to actually aim where he was firing.

Ten minutes later and I was completely sure the area was bug free. I dropped back down to the level the dock was on to see Wheeljack looking over the Omega Key, Knock Out slumped over clearly knocked out. I allowed a small part of my mind to snicker at the unintentional pun even as I said "Well that was fun."

Wheeljack chuckled and said "You would have done just fine with the Wreckers kid."

I nodded at the doctor and said "What do we do with him?"

Wheeljack looked towards his fellow car mode Cybertronian and his face shield slid back revealing his frown as he said "Leave him, we don't have anywhere to hold him as a prisoner unfortunately and killing a bot when he's out is distasteful, even if he is a con."

I let my own face shield pull back as I gave a nod of my own even though I had a frown on my face as well before I activated my com and said "Tac to base, requesting a ground bridge."

Scene Change: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

"Oh man, fighting a whole swarm of Inseticons must have been epic!" Smokescreen said as he made shadow boxing motions with his hands as he continued "Argh, I wish I was there, I would have totally turned them all to scrap."

I frowned and said "Unless you've got booster boots as well that you're not telling us about, I think you might have had trouble getting the ones up top without getting turned to swiss cheese by their blaster fire."

Smokescreen held up a finger before he dropped it as he said "Er, good point." Perking up, he said "But I probably would have thought of something."

"Regardless of whether or not Smokescreen would have done as well as our other rookie earlier today, we must remain focused on collecting the last key. All of our recent success is useless without it." Ratchet said with a frown.

"Ratchet's right Smokescreen, this is no time to focus on your scorecard. This has to be a team effort." Arcee said with a frown.

I glanced down at her hoping she wasn't about to start the speech that would drive him away before she looked over at me and said "Both of you have done an amazing job so far, but you both need to learn that you guys aren't the most important members of this team."

I winced as I looked over at Ratchet and said "I deserved that, didn't I?"

Ratchet held a thumb and finger apart as he said "Maybe a little. You try not to be cocky about your abilities but it does show a bit. I think it has to do with your potential future knowledge. That kind of edge is sure to give anyone an exaggerated sense of self-worth since they supposedly have more foresight than others. The fact that your jet mode can likely outfly any Decepticon in pure speed doesn't likely help either."

Smokescreen frowned and said "I would do anything for you guys."

"Then stop thinking about what you can do to become a legend and start thinking about how you can help us. You need to be an Autobot before you can be a hero." Arcee said before she glanced back up at me and said "And Tac, you need to learn not to take so many risks. This is twice now that you've split off from the group to fight the enemies who are at a higher elevation. I know you are a flyer, but with the Forge still having to be recharged before we can use it without worry again to remake some of our frames, you are also the only one of us who IS a flyer. We can't properly watch your back if you're out of our reach."

I gave a nod at that and said "You're right of course. It seems pretty obvious when someone says that but I don't think I quite realized what I was doing when I did that." Shaking my head, I said "I used to play Pokémon and Fire Emblem games all the time because I liked the tactics involved but neither of them had battles that were truly three dimensional."

"Then perhaps you should find a game that does." Bulkhead said.

"Yeah, maybe start playing Star Wars Battlefront again." I mused to myself as I looked over at the big guy.

"Playing such games will have to wait until AFTER we have collected all of the Omega Keys and used the Omega Lock." Ratchet said as he went to his computer station.

"IF we can use the Omega Lock." I muttered to myself darkly remembering Alpha Trion's words.

Scene Change: Location Of The Third Omega Key Coordinates

I flew over the mountain in a circling pattern. Optimus was taking no chances with this key, the appearance of so many Insecticons at the coordinates of the penultimate Key's location had made Optimus wary of another potential ambush. This time the original three were tracking down the Omega key, the two Wreckers waiting in the wings while I flew oversight ready to intercept any potential trouble from the air.

Optimus had been right to be wary. There were about seventy vehicon drones at the coordinates along with some more Inseticons and the Wreckers had already been called. I listened over the radio as the team fought even as I pondered how Smokescreen was moving our stockpile of stolen energon to a new location. I would have been worried about Megatron getting the information about where his stolen energon was if Ratchet and Optimus weren't the only two who knew where it was going for now, Smokescreen remaining ignorant through use of the ground bridge. At least Optimus was taking precautions for the event of our current base's destruction. I just hoped he had the Forge's charging station sent as well, Primus only knows how much energy that thing had taken from the already low powered Forge when we had made it. It was the reason why the others hadn't all gotten jet packs at the very least yet. Well that, and the fact we got Space Bridge technology right after my new frame was made but mostly because of the charging station.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when an Insecticon cleared the trees and made an arching turn over the treetops, clearly trying to flank someone. One of my three Hughes took care of that and I saw flaming bug bits go falling back to the ground. No more bugs or flyers tried to clear the trees after that and ten minutes later the Bots on the ground reported that they had the key.

As I went down to the ground to bridge back with the others, I could only think 'Things are coming to a head soon.'

FIN


	10. Chapter 10

10\. Drawn Out

We were all gathered in the command center ready to make the trip to Cybertron when all of a sudden an alarm began blaring out at us while a red light flashed. Ratchet gave the impression of paling as he pulled up a map of the local area and all of our eyes widened as the screen showed three squadrons of Decepticons quickly moving towards Jasper, two ground based, one in the air.

"Ratchet, reset the coordinates now!" Optimus shouted and Ratchet was quick to do so before he practically ripped the lever for the ground bridge down and all of us but him rushed through the bridge. We came out on the north road that led into Jasper to the sight of twenty-four vehicons rushing down the road with twelve flyers coming in over them. Seeing Soundwave among them, I cursed and said "Optimus, I'm pretty sure they're here for Smokescreen."

The others stiffened at that and Bulkhead said "They're not getting the kid. Not today, not ever."

"Agreed Bulkhead, Smokescreen, stick with me. Everyone else, keep the Decepticons away no matter the cost!" Optimus said and we all aimed our blasters at the closer flying Cons and opened fire. I held back my impulse of using any of my missiles since Soundwave was right there and instead focused on clipping the flyers' wings. I was able to make one crash before the flyers got close enough to do a strafing run and we all dodged as we returned fire. As I took down another flyer with a quick shot to its right thruster I saw that the car cons had gotten close enough to transform and start firing on us.

Narrowing my eyes as the flyers came back around, I said "Ok, I've had enough out of you guys." The Resonance Blaster on my right wrist extended into its firing mode and I fired it at the flyers in a sweeping wave knocking five of them off course, three of them clipping their wing mates forcing them to concentrate on staying in the air rather than firing on us. Turning around to the car cons, I blasted the leading one hard enough to rip his head off his torso. All of the car cons took one involuntary step back at the sight before they all went flying when I did another sweeping wave.

"Uh Tac, when did you get that from the vault?" Wheeljack asked with a strange tone in his voice. I'd put good money on him remembering the punishment Soundwave gave him with it.

I shrugged and said "Hey, if Smokescreen can use the phase shifter on missions then I should be able to use the toy I swiped when I helped Optimus reclaim the Forge. Optimus actually agrees if that makes you feel any better."

Whether or not Wheeljack did feel better I wouldn't know for a while because right as I turned my attention back to the fliers a ground bridge opened up right beneath me and my eyes widened as I fell through with a shout of "Damn it, not again!" I slammed onto metal and I didn't even wait to see where I was, I blasted the sonic gun down at the floor like I saw Knock Out do against Arcee and Bumblebee. Hearing even more metal hitting metal I glanced around to find myself surrounded by crumpled drones and Insecticons that were struggling to get up inside a room that looked like where Agent Fowler had been kept in the start of the show. Lips forming into a sneer even as my face shield snapped on, I said "Word of warning guys, I'm not in a good mood right now."

The next instant, one of the Insecticons let out a battle cry and launched itself at me. I grabbed its outstretched right arm and judo threw the bug into the floor and then stamped my foot into his face and blasted his face off with my boot thruster. As the force of the thruster forced me into the air, I twisted into a horizontal spin and drew my swords before I used both thrusters to launch myself at the next Insecticon in my sights and slammed by blades through its torso carving a gaping hole in it. A combination of my boot thrusters and swords left the rest of the Insecticons in pieces and I sheathed my swords and exited the room.

As I entered the hall the room was attached to, the sound of an alarm filled the hallway and the light took on a strobe light effect. Rolling my eyes, I transformed and flew as close to the roof as I was comfortable with and flew right over the heads of the responding Cons. I flew for a couple of minutes before I was sure what part of the ship I was in and I changed course slightly to a relatively out of the way com station. Using Starscream's memories, I activated it properly and said "Tac to Optimus, do you copy."

"Loud and clear Tac, where are you?" Optimus asked. I could hear the faint trace of relief in his voice but chose to ignore it.

"The Con's warship. Soundwave had a welcoming party waiting for me but I don't think he counted on my having the Resonance Blaster on hand." I said even as I glanced to the side when I heard rushing steps and quick drew my left blaster and put three shots into a drone rushing towards me, my other two shots unfortunately going wide.

" **Tac, Soundwave managed to grab Smokescreen the same way they grabbed you."** Bumblebee sent and I let out a curse before I sighed and said "Of course he did. I'll get the kid off this boat Optimus, you guys worry about cleanup." Translation, don't use the uncloak virus when someone was already on board and had a remote for the ground bridge.

"Understood." Optimus said and I cut the link before I transformed again and took off for Knock Out's lab.

I got to the door just in time to hear Megatron angrily yell "Where is the Relic you once held?!" Taking that as my cue, I slashed the doors with my swords in an x-cut and for good measure activated my right boot thruster as I kicked the door pieces in as I sheathed my swords. I came in with the Sonic Resonator hidden behind my back to the sight of Megatron, Knock Out, and Soundwave all spinning around to look at me with Smokescreen secured to a table. My optics narrowed and severe frown hidden by my face shield as I said "I'm only going to say this once: Let the kid go."

Megatron sneered and said "Really, you intend to take us on all by your own?"

In response, I pointed the Resonance Blaster at him, (And secretly enjoying the 'Oh Shit!' look that immediately appeared when the titan saw the weapon) and slammed him into the wall all the way across the lab. As Knock Out let out a yell of shock I turned the sonic gun towards Soundwave only to grunt as one of his cables attached to my armor and a shock began coursing through me. I gritted my teeth and wrapped an arm around the cable before I used everything in me to spin yanking the cable hard enough for Soundwave to fly into my other arm's elbow as it came around shattering his face plate. Taking an unwilling knee, I forced myself to turn towards Knock Out and shot him with the sonic gun sending him toppling over a table full of questionable medical tools.

Standing up with a groan I saw Megatron beginning to pull himself up and hit him with a second shot that sent him back to the floor actually cursing. I hobbled over to where I saw the Phase Shifter and picked it up, shooting Knock Out a second time as he scrambled up this time. Hitting Soundwave a second time as well just for good measure sending the communications chief into a wall as well, I quickly made my way to Smokescreen and put the Phase Shifter on him and turned it on. The kid was quick to properly grab me and rolled sending us through the floor to the sound of Megatron's yell of outrage and we crashed onto the floor one level down.

Letting out a groan, my face shield slid away as I said "Please tell me they didn't have time to take a look into your brain pan."

Smokescreen shook his head and said "Megatron now knows about the Omega Lock and where to find it."

"Damn it!" I cursed even as I pulled out the ground bridge remote and set it for an area ten miles outside of Tokyo and activated it. As Smokescreen helped me limp into the portal, I said "We need to get to base fast before Megatron can assemble his forces. Megatron's most likely going to have an army waiting for us at the Lock's location since he knows we'll be going there."

Smokescreen nodded as we came out of the portal and he immediately requested another bridge from Ratchet.

Location: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

Ratchet frowned as he scanned me and said "Tac, how in the name of Primus were you able to move after Soundwave electrocuted you? I'm picking up extreme amounts of residual electricity."

Groaning, I said "I think you can thank the fact that I have a jet as my vehicle form for that. It would not do for an interceptor to be knocked out of the sky from a lightning bolt if it was on patrol during a storm."

"Well then we'll have to be thankful that you are a flyer otherwise neither you or Smokescreen would be here right now and we'd have to use the uncloak virus to try and mount a rescue." Ratchet said with a frown. He finished his scan and said "Even then, until the residual electricity dissipates you are in no condition to go out into the field. You'll have to stay here while the others go to Cybertron."

I jerked my head up and said "Are you kidding me?! Megatron knows where the Omega Lock is now and he's sure to be waiting for them. We're going to need every Bot we've got."

"I'm afraid Ratchet's authority supersedes my own on this matter Tac." Optimus said as he walked over and said "If there is a large-scale battle ahead of us, we cannot be worrying over if you are going to be able to properly fight during the chaos of battle."

I sighed and said "I understand Optimus. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. Should I head to where we stashed the kids until this is all over?"

Optimus shook his head and said "It would not do to draw attention to the military base where Jack, Miko, and Raphael are currently hidden."

I sighed and said "I understand."

"Hey look on the bright side kid, you wrecked Soundwave's visor even better than I did." Wheeljack said as he came over and punched my shoulder as he continued "You're a regular chip off the old block, aren't you?"

I gave a small grin at that before I took the Sonic Resonator and held it out to Wheeljack and said "Here, you could put this to better use than I could right now."

Wheeljack shook his head even as he took it and said "Alright, but I'm not going to like leaving you without it while you're like this."

"Yeah well hopefully all the extra electricity in me will be gone by the time you guys get back." I said before I stood up with a groan putting a hand on the Wrecker's shoulder and continued "Be careful out there Wheeljack, you constantly kicking my tail pipe aside, I'd hate for anything to happen to my favorite teacher."

"Heh, I'll be alright, you just get better kid." Wheeljack said before we glanced over to where Optimus was as he said "Autobots, our situation has now become much direr. Megatron will no doubt be waiting for us on Cybertron, and this is one battle we cannot afford to lose. Gather the remaining relics from the vaults. This mission has gone from a stealth mission to a full out assault."

As the Autobots quickly went to do as they were told, Wheeljack turned back to me and said "Kid, go grab a grenade or two from the Jackhammer while we're gone. Something tells me you might need it later." I gave a nod and Wheeljack went over to talk with Ratchet.

I watched with troubled eyes as Alpha Trion's words once more went through my head and I muttered "Damn it, we're still sailing into that hurricane, aren't we?

FIN

Author's Notes: I officially hate painting interior rooms. I have to put a second coating up in my bathroom after I go donate blood tomorrow. On another note, whoever left a review of 'Kiltz?' next time send a PM with an actual name because I can't answer your question if you don't tell me who you are and I'm sure not answering it here. (Sticks tongue out)


	11. Chapter 11

11\. Entering The Hurricane

Story Start: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

For the past hour, I had been pacing the length of the base. As I walked past Ratchet who was doing his own pacing in a much smaller circle, I said "I hate this Ratchet, the others are no doubt walking willingly into a trap, something tells me the kids will STILL be used as hostages even after moving them, and we're stuck here doing NOTHING!"

"And you think I don't?" Ratchet asked a little testier than normal before he made an expansive hand gesture and continued "We're expecting everything to go to the Scrap Pile in a freighter soon and the only thing you and I can do is wait for it to happen. It's not like we can just head over to the Nemesis and take it while Megatron is gone to keep it from destroying this base." His optics widened as he saw me suddenly stop and look towards the ground bridge, one hand going to the corresponding sword hilt. He shook his head as he said "Oh no, no, no, no. Tac, that is a BAAD idea."

I glanced at Ratchet and said "You think I don't know that? Even with most of Megatron's forces most likely currently on Cybertron, even with us activating every single virus we managed to sneak into its operating systems, two Bots trying to take over a ship of that size would be suicide. Maybe if we had enough red energon to have ten minutes of hyper speed we could make a go at it but we used all of it to put said viruses in said ship. We-"

My rant was cut off as our com station activated and Agent Fowler appeared on the screen, blood dripping from multiple small cuts on his face as he said "Ratchet, we have a problem!" "Damn it!" I hissed under my breath as he continued "The Cons just hit the base where the kids were being hidden, hard. The kids are gone and the base barely has any buildings with four walls still standing." The former Army Ranger looked pensive as he said "Surprisingly though there were no fatalities, just a whole lot of wounded."

I frowned and said "Let me guess, Soundwave led the assault."

Agent Fowler blinked and said "That's right, how did you know?"

"It fits his MO, anyone who is not part of his mission is not important enough to kill." I said with a frown.

"Tac is right, but regardless of who led the mission, it gives dark tidings of what's to come. Agent Fowler, I highly recommend you begin evacuating Jasper and any other surrounding human population centers." Ratchet said gravely.

"I've already given the call." Agent Fowler said before a massive shudder ran through out the surrounding area.

As dust fell from the ceiling and Ratchet's screens all pixelated, I looked up to the ceiling and said "So it begins." Quickly running outside of the base, I made my way to the top of the plateau and watched the beam from the Omega Lock begin to form Dark Mount. About three minutes after it started, the beam cut off and I turned my head as I heard Agent Fowler's Sky Striker quickly approaching. Not long after Agent Fowler landed next to me, Optimus came up with Smokescreen and Wheeljack via the missile elevator and I glanced at him as I said "Please tell me you already sent the kids away."

Optimus nodded and said "Everyone else has been sent away to their separate destinations and told to rendezvous at the Harbinger and the Space Bridge has been destroyed. As soon as the Decepticons begin their attack Smokescreen and I will hide underground using the Phase Shifter."

"While you and I put a dent in Megatron's forces before we bug the hell out. I'll be linking up with Bulkhead following Wrecker protocol. You however have a much more important mission." Wheeljack said with a frown.

I glanced over at him but before I could ask what he meant, Optimus said "Tac, most of the weapons from our vault were left on Cybertron. After the base is destroyed, I want you to immediately head to the Decepticon's space bridge and bridge to the Omega Lock's coordinates and do your best to retrieve them so that way they do not fall into Decepticon hands. Once you have finished there, immediately bridge to the Harbinger. Smokescreen and I will make our way there as soon as possible to rejoin you all so that we may plan our counter attack."

I gave a nod at that but anything further was kept from being said as the Nemesis made its appearance and the Decepticons attacked. Agent Fowler immediately took off and Wheeljack dashed for the side of the plateau to get to the Jackhammer as I quickly transformed and shot off after the Special Agent.

As I rushed towards the approaching flyers I unsheathed my swords at my wing flaps and began firing my blasters at them. Slicing one of the new seekers in half (And a small part of me still wondered where the hell they came from) I shot another Insecticon out of the sky and then I was through the cloud and making a run around the outside of the cloud of tangos picking off the enemies on the edges.

As Agent Fowler and I started making a giant Wagon Wheel I saw Wheeljack join us in his ship and we continued to dwindle the Decepticon numbers for about thirty seconds before the Decepticons got smart and we had to break the maneuver to focus on our own areas. Somehow in the chaos of the fight I wound up close to Agent Fowler and we began tag teaming the surrounding enemies, taking out any of the cons going after the other in a constant dance of aerial maneuvers and flying bullets and blaster bolts.

I don't know how long the two of us were teamed up. It could have been a minute or it could have been ten. I was drawn out of my narrowed senses when a red light threw the surrounding area in relief and a massive shockwave swept past me. I quickly turned my attention towards the base only to see it utterly destroyed and I heard Wheeljack say over the coms "That's our cue to bug out boys."

"Agreed, full retreat. Hit the deck and run hard Tac." Agent Fowler said before he took a dive and I followed him. As we dove for the ground clearing the way of any Cons who were between us and it, I saw Wheeljack's ship getting hit as he tried to escape as well. Mentally cursing at another thing that I couldn't change I could only pray that Wheeljack could hold the ship together long enough to escape because there was no Starscream to allow him to escape so that Wheeljack could 'lead' him to Bulkhead.

I then had to put my focus on pulling up as me and Agent Fowler reached the lowest altitude we could and still fly and we both punched the afterburners, heading south west for the state border with blaster bolts trying and failing to hit us as we left the cons in our dust rooster tails. As we flew on, I let out a sigh of relief as Wheeljack sent "I'm clear but I blew the engines getting away. The Jackhammer's out of action for now, continuing on wheels. Good luck boys."

As we crossed the border a couple of minutes later, I sent to Agent Fowler "Here's where we part ways for now. I'll see you when I get back from my mission."

"Roger that, good luck son." Agent Fowler said and I immediately began climbing as I increased my speed to Mach 3.3 and began a turn that would orient me towards the moon. Once I was out of the atmosphere and halfway around the moon, I picked up Soundwave's signal ahead of me and thought "Un-uh, you're not waylaying me this time." Transforming into bot mode, I pulled out my bridge remote and used it to open the portal right in front of me. Howling with laughter as I went through and came out over Cybertron, I said "Boy am I glad the Decepticons figured out how to open the portal without one end having to be actually connected to the bridge's physical location."

Still chuckling, I transformed back into jet mode and entered Cybertron's atmosphere directly over the Omega Lock's coordinates. (And why Megatron didn't just bridge there in the first place in the show was beyond me. The guy literally had a map showing them staring directly in his face. The only reason why I came out so high up was to avoid a possible ambush.) As my form glowed from the friction of entry, I took the time to wonder if Shockwave would be bringing his not so little science project to Earth since Wheeljack had managed to escape capture. Something told me the Cons would find something in the Jackhammer to track him down with though. If the Predacon could track Wheeljack from a vial of spilled energon that it never even touched, it could probably just scan the ship and track him that way.

Pulling out of my dive, I circled over the remains of the lock and looked for any enemies who might be waiting for me. Seeing none, I quickly landed and began shifting through the wreckage. Thanks to Smokescreen having given me the exact coordinates of where the relics had been just as he and Optimus were retreating into the base I had a good idea where to look and it wasn't long before I found the first relic, which ironically enough was the Resonance Blaster.

I had just found the Apex Armor and put it with the other weapons when a Space Bridge opened up and Knock Out came out followed by a team of drones. His eyes narrowed at me as the bridge closed and he said "Thanks for doing the work for us Autobot, now hand over those weapons and I won't have to operate on you."

I rolled my eyes and said "Need I remind you what happened earlier today?" I shot the Sonic Resonator at him and the mad doctor had just enough time for his eyes to widen before he was sent crashing into the drone directly behind him. As the rest of the drones reacted and formed their blasters, I quick drew my right pistol and fired even as I put a missile in the slot on the left pistol before I fired. The missile impacted one of the drones and detonated, tossing drone bits into the air and scattering the others. Using the added time to be more accurate, I took out most of the drones as they got back up. Knock Out and the drone he crashed into had managed to get up by that time but I was already moving. The Nemesis' CMO only had enough time to growl at me before my right foot was kicking his torso, boot thruster sending him flying into one of the ruined pillars of the Omega Lock. I hit him with the Sonic Resonator for good measure before I shot the drone at point blank and ran back to the weapons. I pulled out the bridge remote as I ran and just as I got to the pile the bridge opened underneath sending the weapons falling with me baseball sliding into it as well, the portal closing just as I landed on the floor of the Harbinger. Wiping my brow of metaphorical sweat, I chuckled and said "Tac: 3, Knock Out: 0."

FIN

Sorry this one had to be the first of the chapters to take the stated two days instead of one. I had to put ANOTHER coat of paint on in the bathroom and on top of that I donated blood today wiping me out for a good six hours once I got home after driving for an hour to get back home from Columbia.


	12. Chapter 12

12\. Regrouping

It's amazing how fast a group of Autobots could regroup after being scattered across the North American Continent when given a rendezvous point. Not four hours after I had returned from Cybertron Agent Fowler arrived to the Harbinger in his Sky Striker just before Bumblebee and Raphael showed up, followed shortly ten minutes later by Ratchet. Two hours after them Smokescreen and Optimus arrived and finally seven hours after I returned from the Corruscant simile the Wreckers and Arcee arrived with Miko and Jack in Ultra Magus' ship.

As the others went out of the Harbinger to greet the last of the group, I looked back to Cliffjumper's grave marker that I had moved days before, more specifically at the horn and sighed as I said "Don't worry Cliff, we'll be moving you to a better spot soon." I jumped off the cliff the monument was on and transformed before I flew down to the others. Transforming and landing in a three-point crouch, I walked forward and said "Wreckers, did you encounter the Predacon?"

"Oh yeah, we encountered it alright." Miko said with a frown, one which I returned when I saw the cut on her forehead and right cheek. Setting my face to a more neutral setting, I turned to where Ultra Magus and Optimus were talking and said "Optimus, Commander, all Cybertronian relics were recovered. If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, I suggest you give Miko the Apex Armor so that she can help the Wreckers when we attack Dark Mount."

"Bringing a native of this planet to battle the Decepticons? Soldier, have your neural circuits short circuited?" Ultra Magus asked angrily only to settle when Optimus put his hand on his second in command's shoulder.

The Prime stared at me for a moment before he said "Tac, what have you not told us?"

I now had the eyes of everyone looking at me as I shrugged and said "She used the armor twice in the show, both times to good effect. I just figured you'd like to have another fighter on this mission, or any future missions for that matter. Wheeljack named her a Wrecker in the show, I say we see if she can live up to that here."

Ultra Magus opened his mouth, no doubt to ask just what the hell I was talking about only for him to close it when Optimus gave him a look clearly stating that he would explain later. Once his 2IC had settled again the Prime looked down at Miko and said "Miko, are you willing to see if you can use the armor?"

Miko bit her lower lip before she glanced at Agent Fowler who was standing next to her. The man smirked and said "It's your call Miko. Personally, I believe that Tac hasn't steered us wrong so far and if I was in your place I certainly wouldn't mind being able to be on equal footing with the Bots for once."

Miko nodded before she gained a determined look and looked back up at Optimus and said "Let's do this."

I took a knee and offered my left hand for her to hop on as I said "Then let's go see if the Armor will form for you." Miko hopped up on my hand and I put my thumb behind her back for support as I stood up and began walking into the Harbinger, calling over my shoulder "We'll be back in a few minutes."

I quickly made my way to where the weapons were and placed the armor flat on the ground. Looking to Miko who was staring at it with excitement I said "Aim for the center and jump onto it."

"Got it." Miko said before she tensed and jumped. As the armor whirred, I smirked and watched as it properly oriented on her even as it formed and my smirk turned into a grin as Miko appeared in the head with a shouted "Whoa!"

"Now that's what I call a growth spurt." I said with a chuckle before I turned serious and said "Let's do a quick movement check to make sure you're not just an indestructible statue in there and then head out to the others. We'll start easy for now. Try crossing your arms."

Miko frowned as she looked around her before her arms crossed. I nodded and said "Good, now spin them-"

Five minutes later, we walked out and Agent Fowler looked up with a grin as he said "Well I'll be dipped. How's it feel kid?"

"Awesome! Tac should have told us about this weeks ago!" Miko said happily.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Jack asked me with a frown.

I shrugged and said "If you guys knew about this before, Miko would have been on Cybertron with you guys and humans can't breathe its air. I just thought it would be better to hold my silence until now."

"Makes sense to me." Arcee said before we all began discussing the plan to take out Dark Mount.

FIN

Short chapter is short for a couple of reasons. First off, I'd like to get the assault on Dark Mount all in one go, second I had to stay for an extra two hours at work the night before so not as much time to work on this after I woke up today.


	13. Chapter 13

13\. Toppling The Mountain

There's something to be said for simplicity. A plane doing an in close and personal flyby at Mach 3.3 sending one of its missiles into the target at practically point blank range can solve quite a few problems. One of said problems being four giant-ass fusion canons that could each take out a major city with one shot. Another being telling the Decepticons that the Autobots weren't hiding anymore. As I blasted past the citadel I heard the satisfying sound of the missile exploding and I sent over the radio "Primary objective met, establishing over watch orbit."

As I began flying over the area in a large circle, a ground bridge opened on the ground and the two Wreckers and Miko came rushing out, Bulkhead and Wheeljack lobbing grenades at the large fortress. A second much larger portal formed in the air and Ultra Magus' ship flew through and deposited Optimus and his 2IC on top of the platform holding Megatron's throne before the ship settled into a lower circling orbit. Unseen from my current angle, a third and final ground bridge was depositing Bumblebee, Arcee, and Smokescreen on the other side of the tower, each equipped with the Polarity Gauntlet, the immobilizer, and the phase shifter respectively along with a few of Ultra Magus' toys.

I watched as everyone else began taking down as many cons as they could while I waited for my secondary objective. Oh sure, with the fusion cannons down we could just watch as Agent Fowler and his fellow Sky Striker pilots just come waltzing in and absolutely level the place, but that wouldn't send a big enough message to Megatron. No, this was to be the Cybertronian equivalent of the Doolittle raid of Japan after Pearl Harbor, telling him that he may take out our base but we weren't beat yet, and we were looking to return the favor where it hurt. Case in point, the Wreckers were currently the only moving figures in a kill zone with dozens of downed drones already.

As the other Vehicon troopers retreated away, I heard the Predacon roar as it came out. The metallic lizard locked onto Wheeljack and dove to attack him only for it to stumble in the air as I dive bombed it and transformed to slam a kick into its back before leaping off and fired my blasters at it while my boot thrusters hurled me backwards through the air. The Predacon gave chase and I waited just long enough until we were clear of the wreckers below us before I holstered my blasters and drew my swords, the two humming as they activated. I gave the Predacon a smirk behind my face shield before I launched myself back at it and as the beast made a grab for me with its mouth sliced the right side of its mouth and down its throat, swinging at the right wing and cutting halfway through the main 'wing bone' for good measure. The roar of pain from the beast shook the plate armor on me with its loudness even as the Predacon stumbled through the air trying to recover its flight. Unfortunately for me, it recovered much quicker than I would have liked and glaring at me hatefully, it charged up a fireball and launched it up at me.

I dodged sideways and down to avoid the blast in time before I sheathed my swords and transformed to more quickly get in the robo-dragon's face, transforming back into bot mode as soon as I was close enough and grabbed the Predacon's neck, sliding around it to land on his back where I grabbed his wing joints and PULLED. The Predacon's wings snapped upwards and the dragon began to free fall as it lost control of its wings. It let out a roar and turned its head around, orange light shooting up its neck but a kick to the already damaged wing had it letting out a pained scream releasing the blast too early causing it to hit nothing but open air. The dragon didn't have time to re-aim due to the fact we were mere seconds away from hitting the ground and I jumped off transforming mid-air and rocketed along the ground as the Predacon slammed into the ground leaving a crater. Coming back in a long turn, I transformed back into bot mode on the edge of the crater on the beast's right side and drew my right sword, spinning it in my hand as I watched the dragon struggle back to its feet.

"Had enough yet, or are you thirsty for more?" I asked in a manner similar to the kid from Home Alone and the beast growled as it turned its head towards me. It whipped its tail at me and I rolled under it. I raised an eyebrow and said "You're going to have to do better than that." Seeing the segments of the tail moving back in my direction, I glanced to the tail end and I saw it coming right at me trying to catch me by surprise. In response, I leapt backwards even as I swung my sword and the Predacon once more screamed in pain as the last end of its tail section separated from the rest of the body. The Predacon launched a fire ball in retaliation that I jumped away from, my boot thrusters ensuring I made it clear in time only for the tail to appear out of the fire ball and slammed me away. I hit the ground and rolled a few times before I got up with a groan and said "Oh great, he's learning."

I looked back at my opponent only to see him charging the Wrecker's position, fire already forming in its chest as it ran. I groaned at seeing the beast was clearly set on Wheeljack and I ran after it, transforming to get there faster. Transforming in the air and coming to a skidding turn that I ended in a half spin next to the Wreckers, I redrew my right sword as I said "Wheeljack, I think you have an admirer."

Wheeljack let out a morbid chuckle even as we dove away from the incoming fireball. Well, Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and I dove away, Miko tanked the shot even as she gave a war cry and launched herself at the Predacon. The Predacon had just enough time for its eyes to widen before Miko was in range and slammed an upper cut into its jaw jerking the head back. Keeping her momentum, Miko jumped up and grabbed the Predacon's neck, using it to pull herself up to the top of the dragon's head and slammed both of her fisted hands onto the dragon's skull. The dragon in turn slammed her off with its tail before slamming her still airborne form into the ground as the tail formed a quick loop and rammed into her. The Predacon roared at her and lunged forward with the claws on its feet and began trying to use them to tear Miko apart.

He only got two swipes in before Bulkhead was slamming his wrecking ball hand into the dragon's side sending him skidding. Wheeljack and I opened fire with our blasters further drawing its attention from the kid and causing it to once more focus on us. It launched a fireball at us only to have to deal with Miko again as she jumped back on the dragon's neck and slammed a punch in the Dragon's left eye. As the dragon tried to once more dislodge her, she rammed home another shot in the dragon's eye before she grabbed the left mandible and ripped it out. As the dragon roared in pain I saw Wheeljack pull out a grenade ready to launch it into the belly of the beast.

But just as he was getting ready to throw, he was thrown forward with a pained yell by a large purple blaster bolt. A quick look back showed Shockwave rapidly moving towards us in tank mode and I scowled at him as I dodged the shot he launched at me. I began firing my blaster at the tank even as I used my boot thrusters to avoid the shots the Cybertronian tank fired at me. The tank continued getting closer but before it got into hand to hand range, it surprised me as it began to circle around the fight, still firing at me but clearly staying out of the range of my vibration sword that was still in my right hand.

I focused on the tank as the other three kept the dragon busy but it was clear that Shockwave wasn't actually here to fight all of us as he got closer to the dragon and a large ground bridge opened up. He transformed and shot at me one last time before he barked out an order and the dragon growled before firing one last fireball at all of us before he grudgingly turned and entered the portal after his creator.

Giving a sigh, I turned to the others and said "I can't believe Optimus actually wants to give that thing a chance when it finally learns how to take bot form. The clone of a formerly extinct species or not, our problems would be a lot simpler if I could have just sliced it in half from the get go."

"Agreed." Wheeljack said before we all turned as multiple explosions filled the air and we saw Dark Mount begin to fall, the Nemesis already well on its way to full retreat, already on the horizon clearly having begun to leave well before the Sky Strikers got in range. It seems the message had been received. I briefly wondered what had made Megatron actually call for the retreat since in the show he was rather adamant about staying to fight before I put it down to either Soundwave or Shockwave having convinced him and turned my focus to the ground bridge that was opening up in front of us. This battle was officially over.

FIN

Author's Notes: Ugh, I officially hate flying when it comes to getting work done. I flew down to visit my dad and step mom at Disney and I didn't even get a chance to turn on my computer before I was back home. I had planned for this to be a six-page long chapter showing each of the teams kicking ass with Tac having a go at the Nemesis, slicing holes down the ship to grab the recovered weapons (Something which obviously didn't happen given the last chapter but it would have been absolutely cool if it did work out that way) or have him take on Megatron with Prime and Magus. Instead, we get Tac taking on the Predacon. A Predacon that will rather shortly join his brethren in the All Spark I assure you. (I absolutely hate that idiot in the show. He makes so many rookie mistakes it's not even funny, and the ending of the battle in the Antarctic was just beyond stupid. If you have enough time to fire a shot into the sky, you have enough time to fire a shot into the cliff.) Moving on, next chapter is the Autobots getting an upgrade. I'll give you guys until ten o'clock Eastern Seaboard time 11/26/16 to send in suggestions before I start writing the next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

14\. Upgrades

Story Start: New Autobot Base Hangar E

It was finally time. Three days after we had taken out Dark Mount, the other Autobots were going to be getting some much-needed upgrades. Optimus had decided to have the Forge give him the same frame as he received in the show stating that it would suit his needs just fine. Ultra Magus had declared that merely having a jet pack to give him more options in combat would suffice, a decision shared by Arcee. Everyone else including Ratchet were getting an upgraded T-cog that would allow them to scan two vehicular forms and be able to transition between those two and their bot forms regardless of which forms they took. Wheeljack was going to be acquiring the same YF-12 vehicle form that I had, the Wrecker having decided that he rather liked my ability to use my swords in jet mode via my wing flaps.

Ratchet had settled on the United States Navy's Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. This helicopter is the go to for combat evac and medevac for the navy, capable of landing on all aircraft carrying vessels from the largest carriers to the smallest frigate. Ratchet had decided that he would also have his flight form equipped with the helicopter's Gau-17/A minigun to further help him get any injured Bots out of hot zones.

Both Bumblebee and Smokescreen were going to go for the hot off the assembly lines Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II's. These bad boys were multirole fighters that along with their GAU-22/A 4 barrel rotary cannon carried anything from air to air missiles to nuclear bombs. (Although the day the generals let an Autobot carry a nuke with them was probably going to be the day Unicron decided he wouldn't mind having humans living on him) The F-35's maximum tested speed of Mach 1.61 was fast enough to allow the two to reasonably keep up with Wheeljack and I when we didn't go full throttle meaning we could fly missions together as a full fighter squadron.

Bulkhead was getting a heavy-duty helicopter known by its original soviet pilots as the flying tank. The Mil Mi-24 (UN designation Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter, and low capacity troop transport (8 passengers) that over thirty countries have operated since 1972. This guy had internal guns, external stores, bomb carrying capabilities, and the ability to carry a long tube rocket launcher.

The Autobots stood in a circle in the middle of the hangar, the Forge in the center. I watched next to where Agent Fowler was standing by the railing in front of his office while the kids and Nurse Darby were watching from the 'recreation' area. Optimus went first and his frame lit up in a white light that grew bulkier before fading revealing the frame from the show. Ultra Magus went next and his light show ended much quicker revealing slightly denser armor, the requested jet pack along with a war hammer that looked like it was made out of Adamantium surprising most of us including him. Arcee underwent the change next and gained along with her jet pack and upgraded armor a pair of small rotary guns on her shoulder blades. (Think the shoulder guns the Gundam Epyon has) A quick transformation by her revealed the guns were capable of popping out of her sides while in vehicle mode. Ratchet's form gained four propeller blades down his back and a good number more tools in his hands then he had before. Bumblebee and Smokescreen were next and both had a pair of small wings join the doors on their backs and a quick check by both showed that they too had gained boot thrusters like I had while their arms also each had a missile that could pop out of the interior to be fired. Wheeljack joined them in having boot thrusters and his swords got an upgrade to become vibration capable like mine, his three new Hughes missiles appeared stacked one on top of the other when he opened his chest plate. Finally was Bulkhead who seemed to get just a fraction more bulkier with new improved armor, Dreadwing's old gun given an upgrade like his sword had for me, the gun becoming a rotary canon with a barrel for grenades underneath, the weapon now fitting smoothly on the Wrecker's back in an indentation nestled between the five rotary blades that formed an extra layer of defense as they pointed down making a shield, two on each side of the gun, one hanging over the back of said gun.

All of the kids let out sounds of surprise as each bot got their upgrades, Miko looking like she was going to burst with excitement as her eyes traveled from one bot to another. As the Autobots looked amongst themselves, I walked over and said "Optimus, if the Forge has any juice left I think there are a few more things we could make while we're in upgrade mode."

Optimus turned towards me and saw me looking at the humans. He frowned for a moment before he nodded and said "Considering the events of the past couple of years, I believe you are correct Tac." Turning to Agent Fowler, he said "Agent Fowler, I require three of the watches your armed forces would use in combat, along with anything you would always have on you. Nurse Darby, I believe you would benefit as well if you supplied something that you normally wear as well."

"Whoa, you aren't actually suggesting we let the kids join you on missions, are you?!" Jack's mom asked alarmed.

I fielded this one as I fully turned towards the humans and said "Nurse Darby, you and Agent Fowler were both grabbed by Knock Out in the show when you retrieved a Predacon talon from a museum and the kids have already been put through at least a dozen situations where a bit of armor and weaponry would have kept them safe rather than defenseless. Do you really want to take the chance of you five not being protected when we have the means of giving you all a chance to protect yourselves?"

"He's got a point June, I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing I could handle myself if the cons showed up." Agent Fowler said.

"But I-" Nurse Darby started before she sighed and said "Fine, you two win."

Miko's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as she said "You mean we're going to get Iron Man suits!?"

"That's a good way of putting it actually." I said with a chuckle.

"That's going to have to wait until we can get those watches from the quarter master. For now, Bots, your new vehicle forms are waiting to be scanned. And Wheeljack, I hope you understand how hard it was getting the YF-12 here a second time." Agent Fowler said as he climbed down to the ground floor and led the Autobots who were getting secondary vehicle forms out of the hangar to the base's air strip.

Time Skip: An Hour Later

I watched the humans put on their new watches, some more excited than others. Optimus had to very carefully tap the five watches with the Forge in order to not squash them like bugs but now they were gadgets that wouldn't be out of place in Tony Stark's house. Miko was the first and her armor was the same shade of purple as her shirt, the pink in her hair serving as the secondary color. She looked like War Machine only her guns fired energy bolts instead of bullets. Jack was next with a blue and black suit that definitely emphasized speed over strength, a collapsible bo-staff whose ends extended into vibrational blades his only weapon besides what were in his hands, both the palms and the tops. Raphael was next with an orange and black suit that almost reminded me of Naruto's Shippuden outfit, the suit absolutely loaded with communications and other 'computer' tech leaving him only with the standard palm weaponry for offense but a half again as bulky shell to compensate for all of the gear giving him better defense. Nurse Darby went next and her armor was the slimmest of the group, red and white with medical symbols on each of her shoulder plates and another over her right breast. Pouches full of medical supplies lined her waist and various medical tools could extend out of her forearms for her to use. Agent Fowler took a moment to examine the others before he nodded in satisfaction and activated his. The armor definitely showed his Army Ranger roots with its camouflage skin, an energy rifle that was magnetically held to his back, an energy pistol on one side of his waist and trench knives that appeared when he made a fist that hummed showing they were vibration capable.

As the humans began to check out their forms and the kids immediately started trying to learn how to fly, I glanced at the Forge that was in its charger having been almost completely drained a second time and thought 'Grabbing that thing from the cons early was one of the best ideas I ever had.'

FIN

Author's Notes: All information of the Autobot's aircraft forms are from the Wikipedia page for active US Military aircraft.


	15. Chapter 15

15\. Time To Look For Bones

Story Start: In The Air En-Route To Decepticon Activity

I flew beside Smokescreen as we followed Optimus through the air. Ratchet had picked up Decepticon activity and Optimus had decided against going solo on the chance that they had started gathering Predacon clone fossils. He did not want what happened in the show to happen here, hence the presence of both me and Smokescreen.

Optimus started descending and landed at a small cave entrance while Smokescreen and I established a circling pattern overhead, looking through the surrounding forest for the hole in the tunnel that an Insecticon may or may not fly out of with a Predacon bone fragment. Five minutes of tense searching between the two of us later and we spotted an Insecticon suddenly take to the air, practically right in the middle of us. The bug startled both of us since it seemed to just appear out of nowhere out of the trees but both of us were quick to hit the thing with a missile. Needless to say, the con stood no chance and bug bits rained down to the forest. We stopped circling and moved to hover directly over where the con had appeared just in case more came through but after a moment, Optimus sent the all clear signal before he flew up towards us, both the main part of the skull and the fragment the bot beetle had broken off in his hands, this was one Predacon fossil that the cons won't be able to use.

Scene Change: Unit E Base, Hangar E

We came through the ground bridge and almost immediately Ratchet asked "Optimus please tell me you found energon."

"I am afraid not old friend." Optimus said as he put the bone pieces on a nearby table. Turning to everyone else, he continued "I am afraid that once again Tac's intel has proven correct. Fortunately, we were able to prevent the Decepticons from leaving with any part of this fossil."

"One down, most likely twenty-four more to go." I said with a frown as I looked at the skull. Turning to Raphael, I said "Raf, can your armor pick up the micro-chip Shockwave put in this skull?"

Raphael frowned even as he activated his watch and his armor formed around him. Raphael flew over to the skull and began running his right hand over it, a blue light playing over its surface as he worked. A minute later, the light stopped and the kid nodded as he said "Micro-chip found, sending frequency to global satellite network for scanning." The main computer screen switched from a map of the local area to a world map. A couple of moments later roughly two dozen red dots appeared on the screen some right away and others taking a little bit longer, almost like the sensors that were looking weren't entirely sure of their findings and Raf's helmet retracted showing his frown as he looked at the screen and said "Sorry I couldn't get more precise coordinates, none of the satellites I tapped into can get a proper lock on the signals."

"It's still better than responding to the Cons' movements and searching the entire globe grid by grid." Arcee said with a smile to the youngest member of our team.

I studied the map for a moment before I turned to face Optimus as I said "Optimus, the show showed four fossils were collected within a day or two after the first fossil was found, everything else unfortunately wasn't shown. The first two fossils were retrieved at the same time, one location was the Halberdiers Bluffs in Scotland, the other in an oil field in El Paso. Ultra Magus and the Wreckers went to Scotland, Miko tagging along while you, Bumblebee and Smokescreen went to El Paso. The Predacon retrieved the fossil in Scotland after the team sent there was taken out and Wheeljack called in a ground bridge while the others took Ultra Magus' ship back and he wound up going with Arcee to Taos, New Mexico. The last fossil was found by Raphael in a museum. Unfortunately, the show never said which city the museum was in but I'm pretty sure Raphael can narrow down the location by seeing which of the signals we can pick up are located in cities. Agent Fowler and Nurse Darby were the ones to retrieve it but were intercepted by Knockout. The only reason they were able to avoid being taken to the warship was because the Predacon had disabled communications for a while. Considering the humans all have armor that is capable of flight though, I don't think we have to worry too much about Knock Out. One other thing, Shockwave was at the oil field and Soundwave soon joined in the fight there in order to help secure the fossil. He used Laserbeak to temporarily incapacitate you so if you go there don't let him get on your back. Now, the fossils are as follows: Scotland's is an eye, El Paso, a jaw bone, Taos, a spine, and the museum is a talon."

"Thank you, Tac, that information is most helpful." Optimus said before he looked over everyone around him and said "Autobots, we shall divide into teams of two to collect the Predacon bones as fast as possible. Arcee, you and I shall go to El Paso. Wheeljack and Tac, you shall go to the Bluffs in Scotland. Bulkhead and Smokescreen, you two will head to Taos. Bumblebee, you and Ultra Magus will escort Agent Fowler to the museum. Once he has safely returned to base you will head to the next coordinates. Raphael, you shall be in charge of the ground bridge while Jack and Miko shall remain as reserves in the event the Decipticons engage any of the teams along with Agent Fowler once he returns. June, you and Ratchet shall remain on standby in case of a medical emergency."

Everyone nodded accepting their assignments before Wheeljack grabbed one of the scanners that would guide us to the proper coordinates and started walking out of the base as he said "Let's go kid, we've got an eyeball to grab." He transformed into his jet mode and I quickly followed suit, both of us hitting the afterburners and shooting up into the high atmosphere to allow us to reach our destination quicker than the jets we turned into normally could.

Time Skip: Thirty Minutes Later

Thanks to our Cybertronian nature allowing us to go much higher than a human could in our jet mode Wheeljack and I were able to use the less dense air of the Earth's highest atmosphere to quickly cross the pond and reach Scotland. We circled the area the coordinates were in once before landing on the cliff. I glanced around confirming the scenery matched the show before I pointed towards the giant hole that Miko had climbed to reach Ultra Magus' ship and said "The bone should be somewhere in that section of the cave system."

"Right, keep your guard up kid, we don't know if the Cons are already here or not." Wheeljack said as he walked over to the hole and began to climb down, me following fifty feet on his right.

We quickly climbed down into the room and checked the connecting tunnel for any con presence. Seeing none, Wheeljack pulled out his scanner and began scanning the walls. As he reached the side opposite the cave entrance, he said "The bone should be right aboouut, there." The scanner began beeping rapidly and he put it up before drawing one of his swords and said "Roughly eight feet in, sixteen and a half feet high. Care to give me a hand kid?"

"Sure." I said and drew one of my own swords, the two blades beginning to hum before we pushed them into the rock in front of us and carved a cone into the rock. Once our circle was complete, we stepped to the sides of the hole and gave the cone of rock a light pull causing it to fall out of its housing and onto the ground below. I put the Resonance Blaster up against the cone and hit it with sound for ten seconds, the cone shaking apart into little pieces. When I stopped using the sonic gun we sifted through the rubble before Wheeljack let out a soft cry of triumph and held up the eye between his right pointer finger and thumb.

Giving the eye a quick look, I said "I can't believe someone would put a tracker in someone's eye. Even for a Cybertronian that's gotta hurt."

"Shockwave was probably in a grumpy mood when he put it in." Wheeljack said before his chest cavity opened a little and he tossed the eye in before closing it back up. Giving me a grin, he said "Let's get out of here before the cons show up."

I returned his grin as I said "Too bad we can't stick around and watch them get frustrated when they can't find the darn thing." Wheeljack let out a bark of laughter at that before he jumped up into the air and rocketed up to the top of the cliff. I quickly joined him and a quick call to base gave us the closest bone to us and we transformed and took off to our next destination.

FIN

Author's Notes: Well, we're getting close to the end of the story soon. Ten more chapters at extreme max, and that's counting the movie. For those of you wondering, Tac and Wheeljack are flying for the exact same reason the Wreckers took Ultra Magus ship. It would be wasteful to use the energon to power the Ground Bridge when they could easily get to their destination within an hour thanks to the ability to go to extremely high altitudes for a suborbital flight further boosting their already impressive Mach 3.3 speed. I would also like to point out one thing that some of you may not have picked up on. When Bumblebee got his upgrade from the Forge, it fixed his voice box so he can now speak in a manner that everyone Cybertronian or Human can understand.


	16. Chapter 16

16\. Knocking The King Off His Throne

Story Start: Hangar E

The three days after the first Predacon Bone had been found was hectic. It didn't take long for the Decepticons to figure out we had the micro-chip's frequency and they began dispatching as many teams as possible to get to the bones before we did. Adding to the trouble was the fact that I had no more intel on the rest of the bones so we had to spend time looking for them at the coordinates. Further making things difficult was the fact that the Cons didn't even need the whole fossil, one small chip off the bones would be enough for Shockwave to use while we needed the entire bone to call it a win. Wheeljack and I had run into two teams looking for our fourth and sixth bone and the fighting had gotten so bad in the last fight the two of us had to actually call in for backup even after using all of our six Hughes missiles. And Jack and Miko really showed why it was a good idea to partner with the humans when they were called in. Small they may be, but those two were absolutely deadly on the battlefield, Miko's weaponry tearing through Decepticon armor with deadly precision while Jack used his bo staff in combination with his flight tech to leave cons limbless left right and center.

But now no more micro-chips were being detected and the final score card was Autobots thirteen, Decepticons twelve. Not the best outcome but at least we had cut down the number of Predacons there would be by half. Of course, Shockwave could always make duplicate clones out of the fossils but I held out a little hope that he wouldn't be that efficient.

Right now, Wheeljack and I were replenishing our energon stores, the two of us watching Ratchet give Smokescreen some medical attention where an Insecticon had gotten a lucky blow in and had really dented up the top of his right arm.

"So do you think Megatron will try to get us to do his dirty work if the Predacon shows he's more intelligent than he thought before?" I asked Wheeljack as we injected the last of our needed energon injections.

"Hard to say, with no Silas for Knock Out to experiment on with the green stuff and Airachnid still in our vault, I seriously doubt any of the events in Thirst would happen so the Cons would still have most of their forces when the Predacon reveals his new abilities. Still, I can't see Megatron allowing a group of beast bots that could possibly be more powerful than his forces remain in a position where they could revolt." Wheeljack said with a frown.

"Only time will tell. Still, considering our own forces have been bolstered by the upgrades and armor granted to us by the Forge of Solis Prime, I believe it is safe to say that we are as ready as we can be to face any more Predacons." Ratchet said as he finished his work on Smokescreen before going to the work station that held his work on Synthetic Energon.

"Too bad the forge can't help you figure out how to make Synth-En." Bumblebee said as he walked over from where he was putting the next batch of regular energon down from our secret housing area where the stolen energon from the Nemesis remained in order to keep it safe for if or when Hangar E was compromised like Omega 1 had been.

"What, like make some kind of Cybertronian Philosopher's Stone, but instead of being able to turn lead into gold it's scrap metal to energon?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ratchet looked over his shoulder at said Forge in its charging station and gave a thoughtful hum before he turned back to his work and said "Something to consider perhaps when the Forge is once more sufficiently charged."

"Right, because it hasn't been enough of a life hacking tool so far as it is." I said with rolling optics even as I let out a chuckle before I grew serious and said "In all seriousness though, if we do make something like that, you know the cons can never get their hands on it, right?"

"Indeed soldier, if the cons had a way to make energon from more common materials, their actions would most certainly become more and more ambitious." Ultra Magus said as he placed the last cube of energon down and joined the discussion.

Optimus put his two creds in as he said "Any use of the Forge must be carefully considered. For while the objects it could make us may indeed make things much simpler for us, they could also potentially be used for harm as well."

"True enough." I said before I shook my head and walked over to the main screen. Once there, I began typing in coordinates as I said "I don't know how long it takes Shockwave to clone his little beasties but I do know it's more than three solar cycles. That said, I also know that in the show his off-site laboratory was in an abandoned energon mine." Red dots began to pop up on the screen as I continued typing and I said "I'm inputting the coordinates of all mines Starscream knew about." Looking over my shoulder as I put in another set of coordinates I continued "Anyone feel up to seeing if we can find Shockwave's lab or at the very least hit the smaller mines while we wait to see if Megatron betrays the Predacon?"

"You know I'm game kid." Wheeljack said with a grin as he fingered the hilt of one of his swords. Optimus looked pensive for a moment before he nodded and said "Autobots, prepare to head out again, same teams as before."

Time Skip: One Week Later

We had been steadily pissing Megatron off more and more as we raided mine after mine. Now that we didn't have to worry about securing Iacon relics, toppling massive enemy citadels, or hunting down Predacon bones, we finally had time to make full use of Starscream's memories and we did so with fervor, hitting all of the minor mines first in several rapid assaults, stealing all of the already harvested energon before leaving the scene and heading for the next mine, leaving the unmined energon for later. Neither Optimus nor Ultra Magus were truly concerned about holding the locations given our current stores from our raid of the Nemesis weren't even three fourths used. We could always come back later and this was more of making nuisances of ourselves while we searched for Shockwave's lab.

Wheeljack and I were just getting ready to ground bridge to the next mine in Australia when Ratchet informed us of his sensors detecting exposed Energon. Either Megatron wanted to draw the Bots into a trap so we'd stop stealing his energon cookies from their jars or he wanted us to take out Project Predacon for him. Optimus halted any further excursions and we waited for half an hour for everyone to return before we Ground Bridged to the exposed energon coordinates.

Scene Change: Shockwave's Lab

The fight outside of the cave was pathetic. Bulkhead had gone in with his helicopter form and just shredded all of them while we waited in the woods nearby in case he needed help. When the area was clear, I opened a ground bridge with my remote and literally kicked the three carts into the bridge as we walked past and the bridge closed on the cargo as we continued into the mine. When we reached the split, I took the lead and began walking down the right-hand path drawing my right blaster as I walked, the others following with their blasters out as well. A short while later, I held up my left hand and everyone stopped. I walked a little bit further as quietly as I could and looked into the cavern in front of us. Seeing Shockwave working at his station. I drew back after counting the number of Predacons when I saw him looking at the entrance of the cavern. Regrouping with the others, I used Autobot combat hand signals as I 'said' "Twelve holding containers, enemy at end, recommend others pincer while I distract."

Optimus nodded and signed his agreement before he split the others up into two groups. Once that was done, I counted down before I made a fist and rushed into the lab. Thanks to my boot thrusters, I was already a quarter of the way into the lab before Shockwave knew I was there. I was halfway to him before his first reflexive blaster shot and three fourths when he took a better aimed shot that I sidestepped and returned. I got there just in time to see a ground bridge open underneath his feet as he made one last command on his work station and my last blaster bolt missed his eye by mere centimeters as he fell through. I guess the cyclops had a link to Soundwave open as he waited for us. As the bridge closed I sighed before I looked towards Optimus and said "Sorry chief, he got away."

"You did your best Tac." Optimus said as he walked over. As the others joined him, Wheeljack looked at the Predacons as lightning began to spread through the overhead wires and said "Well, this is a whole lot of ugly. What do we do about them?"

Looking at the workstation Shockwave had been at, I blinked at what looked like a program to give the Predacons their orders on the screen before I grinned as a sudden (And quite honestly absolutely crazy) idea made itself known and said "We talk to them."

I ignored every-one's surprised looks and questions as I 'cracked' my digits and started typing. The next moment the Predacons eyes snapped open as they came online for the first time ever and I suddenly had all of their eyes on me.

"Uh Tac, what did you just tell them?" Smokescreen asked nervously, the kid taking a step away from me as he and the others formed their other set of blasters and pointed them all at the Predacons warily.

"I told them that their creator has betrayed them."

"And I at least would like an explanation." The terminal announced startling the others before I typed saying out loud as I did "How else can you explain how we found you just before you would be ready to be deployed? Your predecessor has clearly made Megatron afraid of you guys and he wanted us to do his dirty work for him. Now which one of you guys just talked?"

A gryphon Predacon screeched before he flared his wings, the tube holding him shattering and sending the yellow fluid he was in to the floor. He stepped forward as the console said "That would be me." The gryphon studied the other Autobots for a moment before he turned his focus back to me and the console continued "Please tell your brethren to put their weapons away."

"Guys, I suggest you do what the giant raptor says." I said in amusement even as I walked past them and said "Do you have a name yet big guy?"

The gryphon cocked its head before the console said "You may call me Skyrunner."

I nodded and said "Skyrunner it is. Now, before we go any further, I'd like you to see if you can transform into a bot form like we're in."

Skyrunner concentrated for a moment, his gaze going far away before a moment later there was the sound of a shifting Cybertronian and the Predacon now stood on two feet instead of four. The Predacon took a few moments to study his new form before he said "Your name is Tac correct?" At my nod, he gave an expansive gesture and said "Permission for my brethren to also free themselves?"

I glanced at Optimus and asked his name in question. The big guy hesitated only for a moment before nodding. That was all the other Predacons needed to see before they too were freeing themselves, the tubes in the cavern shattering and more of the yellow fluid splashing to the ground. Some of them stretched out their limbs while others immediately began figuring out how to also transform and soon we had eleven more bot forms in the room than before.

Skyrunner traded looks with the others, most of them nodding at him while the others made get on with it gestures making me think Skyrunner somehow had a psychic like ability when it came to Cybertronians and their tech (Which would explain how he made the console talk for him.) The apparent spokesperson for the group turned back to us and asked "Forgive me, but I must ask. What are your intentions towards us?"

Optimus fielded this one as he stepped forward and said "I would ask you to join us in our fight against the Decepticons. However, I will accept your neutrality and allow you to live peacefully on an uninhabited island of this planet until we could restore Cybertron without having to worry about Megatron attempting to conquer it a second time. You will of course be provided with any energon stores you need to survive."

Skyrunner closed his eyes, an action mimicked by the other Predacons. Five seconds later, Skyrunner's eyes opened again and he said "Most of my brethren wish to remain out of this war until they have had a chance to discover who we are. We will take your offer of neutrality but will not be averse to bringing you aid in the event that something comes up that your team cannot handle without us."

As Optimus and Skyrunner were talking, Wheeljack's and my head both snapped to the cave entrance, both of our interceptor sensor packages picking up on a tango with a signature we had encountered in the past. The two of us traded looks before we sprinted out of the cavern, the other Autobots questions ignored as our boot thrusters rapidly took us to where the tango was detected.

We came to a skidding stop in front of the first Predacon just as the ground bridge he exited closed and Wheeljack said "I was hoping you would show up." Drawing his blades as they began to hum, he continued "You're not walking away from our fight this time lizard."

"And you shall not harm my subjects Autobot." Predaking said with narrowed eyes.

'And just who would these subjects be?' Skyrunner's voice echoed in all of our heads as he and the others approached us, the Predacons in their beast forms while the Bots were in their flight modes to get to us quicker. They came to a stop behind Wheeljack and I and Skyrunner transformed into bot mode as he walked between us to stand in front of the first clone. Staring up at him, the gryphon continued "I see none here who answer to you."

The dragon bot growled as he said "I am Predaking, and all Predacons are my subjects to lead."

"And who decided that? It certainly wasn't any of us." Skyrunner said gesturing behind him and the other Predacons all nodded even as he continued "Just because you were the first does not make you the leader."

Predaking snarled at them before he turned to us Autobots and growled as he bit out "What have you done to my brethren Autobots?! They would never betray me unless you did something."

"Don't get ahead of yourself _Your Majesty_." Skyrunner said, sarcasm dripping from the last two words as he continued "The only thing the Autobots have done is have the decency to talk with us rather than destroy us outright just because we are different. And we will never follow someone who follows the orders of the one who ordered our destruction."

Predaking actually took a step back like he had been slapped as he said "What?! What do you mean by that?!"

Skyrunner scoffed and said "Our sanctuary was uncovered just before we were brought online. Now what are the odds of the Autobots finding us at that exact moment without insider action?"

"Not very high considering Energon was exposed to draw our attention to this location." I added in my two cents.

"Enough of this nonsense! Why would my liege want to destroy us? We are what will guarantee his victory! Now as your king, I order you to come with me now!" Predaking roared.

"You are not our king." Skyrunner said and transformed, his voice once more heard by our minds rather than our audio receptors as he continued 'And as the chosen voice of my brethren, I do declare we will never follow you.'

An ugly look appeared on Predaking's face as he snarled and said "If you will not submit willingly, then you will by force!" The larger bot turned into his dragon form and made a move for Skyrunner only to get tackled by two other Predacons. The gryphon looked towards us Autobots and sent 'Autobots, this is a Predacon matter, remain out of this fight.' The next instant he was right in the thick of things with his brethren and we watched as the twelve Predacons took on their much bigger predecessor.

As I watched the chaos that was thirteen Predacons fighting, I blinked and said "I honestly never considered this would happen when I pictured how this mission would go down."

"I'm just glad those guys aren't against us." Bulkhead said wincing when a decidedly insect looking Predacon slammed its blocky arm into Predaking's side sending him skidding over three hundred feet into the side of the large cavern and causing large rocks to fall on top of him.

"Indeed soldier." Ultra Magus said as all twelve of our 'ally' Predacons launched a barrage of fireballs into where Predaking had fell causing the entire cavern to shake from the explosion, making various sized rocks tumble down from the ceiling.

Predaking erupted from the rubble with a roar but even from where we were we could see he wasn't doing too good, visible damage all across his metal form. The next instant, what looked like the love child of a dire wolf and a kamado dragon launched itself at Predaking's neck and latched on, trying to force the much larger beast bot to the ground. It was joined by another that looked like an honest to Primus Cybertronian version of the pokemon Houndoom and the two along-side a dive bombing eagle Predacon forced the dragon's head down long enough for Skyrunner to slash his claws against the dragon's face, taking out its right eye and mandible. Predaking let out a pain filled roar and from there it all went downhill for him.

Five minutes later, Predaking's spark-less frame laid on the ground, still leaking energon as the other Predacons roared out their victory. The beasts turned and walked towards us before they transformed once close enough. Optimus studied them for a moment before he said "Skyrunner, do you or any of your comrades require medical aid?"

Skyrunner glanced at the others before looking back at Optimus with a shake of his head and said "Nothing that we ourselves cannot handle Optimus."

"Very well. Then let us head to our base so that we may decide where you shall stay until this war is over." Optimus said and I took that as my cue to open up another portal. As everyone else walked through the portal I glanced back towards where the lab had been. My eyes closed before I slotted a missile onto one of my blasters and programed a flight path into it before I fired it. I stepped through the portal and it closed. Unseen to all, a few seconds after it closed, a Synth-En fueled explosion ripped through the cavern system causing several rockfalls in it.

FIN

Author's Notes: Not dead, just tired. Yesterday I slept for a straight eleven hours after work and having to bring the shopping carts of two other store chains to their original stores and having to pick up mom from the car dealership when her transmission died on her, only waking up for a long period of time when it was time to go back to work. On another note, this chapter went completely different than what I had planned. I had planned on Tac stepping into the fight between Wheeljack and Ultra Magus vs Predaking just when or before Predaking stomped off Ultra Magus' hand, Tac killing the dragon by shooting him with two of his missiles at once and maybe finishing him off close and personal. Then the upgrade chapter happened and that just wouldn't have been believable considering Wheeljack now also has vibrational swords. Hence the Predacon smack down. If you want a look at what two of the Predacons look like, give rrondart's Predacons Adopt Auction a look through on Deviantart.


	17. Chapter 17

17\. Heading Towards The Endgame

Story Start: 'Ghost Island' Sarah Ann Island Location: Classified

Sarah Ann Island was the subject of a couple of conspiracies. The disappearing island was said to have either sunk, been misfiled in naval charts, even been a former landing zone for aliens. The truth was much more simple, it was an island that the US Government had kept hidden for the purpose of being the ultimate bolt hole if everything went to hell in a hand basket. Now that we were in the twenty first century though there was a much better location made and the island had had all of its buildings and tech disassembled and the natural wildlife allowed to reclaim it in its entirety. In short, it was the perfect place to hide twelve beast type Cybertronians.

I watched as the pre-fab warehouse that Agent Fowler assured Optimus would last for up to two years on the island without regular maintenance was assembled with the help of the Wreckers under the guidance of Ultra Magus. Beside me standing in bot mode was Skyrunner. The elected voice of the Predacons was keeping tabs on his brethren as they explored the island even as he said "So this is to be the only building on this island?"

I nodded and said "We don't want the local wildlife getting into your communications tech or energon stores but beyond that Agent Fowler was very clear that they want this area to remain as natural as possible. Something about keeping it as uninteresting as possible to keep others from taking a look around."

"Perfectly understandable. It would not do for the natives of this planet to stumble upon one of us Predacons and try to spread the word about us." Skyrunner said before he almost seemed to become nervous as he said "Tac, you have the ear of your leader, do you not?"

"My circumstances are rather unusual, so he listens to me on certain matters that I may have an insight into." I said with a shrug before I turned my head to fully look at him as I said "Why do you ask?"

Skyrunner paused for a moment before he said "On Cybertron, there would be many more remains of us Predacons. When Cybertron is reformed, do you believe that Optimus would allow them to be used to create more Predacons?"

"I think that depends if not entirely then a great deal on whether or not we could capture Shockwave to at the very least learn how his cloning process works." I said with a frown. Shaking my head once, I continued "I cannot see a reason why Optimus would willingly limit the Predacon race to only twelve bots. However, I also cannot see the restoration of your kind happening instantaneously. The planet was devastated by centuries of war, there will be a lot of rebuilding needed, and most likely it will be an all hands-on deck scenario at first. One or two more of your brethren may be made at a time but the entirety of your race seems a bit ambitious at the moment. I will inform Optimus of your desire when I return to base though so that way he may begin considering it."

"I understand." Skyrunner said as he looked down for a moment with closed eyes, probably talking with the other Predacons before he looked back up and towards me with a smile as he said "Thank you for all of this Tac. I do not have to be Psychic to know that there would have been a good chance me and my brethren would not be here today if not for you. We Predacons owe you a debt that could never be repaid."

I frowned and shook my head as I said "You guys don't owe me anything, I was just doing what I felt was right."

"Still, the fact remains. If you ever need anything from me or my brethren, you have but only to ask." Skyrunner said before he cocked his head for a moment. Turning to fully face me, he said "One of my brethren calls for me. Remember my words Tac, for they are the truth for all of us on this island." The next instant, he was in his Gryphon mode and running into the surrounding forest. I watched him go before I turned back to the building and walked over to help put the camouflage over it to prevent it being spotted from far away.

Scene Change: Hangar E

Optimus had his eyes closed in contemplation while I stood in front of him. Shaking his head to bring him out of his thoughts, he opened his eyes and looked at me as he said "Securing the ability to revive more of the Predacon would not be easy. We would have to capture Shockwave alive which would not be an easy task. And even after that we would have to secure his cooperation."

"Or at the very least I would have to form a cortical psychic patch to find what we need." Ratchet said with a frown and crossed arms not liking the thought of having to dive into his counterpart's no doubt twisted mind to find what was needed.

A thought occurred to me and I said "Maybe we won't have to go that far. In the movie, Bumblebee led most of the team to Megatron's citadel so that way they could find the locations of the secret laboratories Shockwave had set up on Cybertron when it became known that he and Starscream were making more Predacon clones. If the information is there in this reality, we could track down the lab where the first Predacon clone had been made and see if we could piece together what we need to do from there."

"It's certainly a possibility to consider Optimus. And we could always use more bodies to help remake our world once the Omega Lock is fixed." Ratchet said giving his approval. None of us mentioned the fact that the Cons might build their own Omega Lock before we fix the old one, for the simple fact that we weren't going to allow them to finish building it.

"Very well. We will make the successive capture of Shockwave a primary objective in any engagements where he is present." Optimus said before Agent Fowler walked over and said "Well you might get a chance real soon Prime. The Cons just made a smash and grab at the Las Alamos Nuclear Plant late last night and made off with twenty tons of control rods."

I glanced from Agent Fowler to Optimus and said "Time to let loose the viruses?"

Optimus once more closed his eyes in thought before he opened them as he said "The Decepticons will be attacking more human installations to get what they need and that is something we cannot allow. Raphael, "turning to our computer expert who perked up at his name being called, the large bot continued "Activate the first set of viruses and be ready to activate the uncloaking virus in thirty minutes." Raphael nodded and rushed over to his computer station, his fingers already typing even before he was fully seated. Looking at the room at large, the chief continued "Everyone else, prepare to storm the warship. We will go over our battle plan in ten minutes."

"You heard your leader, we're going in, and we're going in hard so gear up." Ultra Magus said and everyone scrabbled to prepare themselves.

"Should I inform the Predacons Optimus?" I asked with a tilted head.

Optimus frowned but he did nod as he said "I believe that to be wise. However, inform Skyrunner that we will only call for their aid if there is no other option."

I nodded and tried to send out my thoughts to the Gryphon wondering just how far the Psychic's range was as I thought 'Skyrunner, can you hear me?'

'Ba-ely- wh-i—t?' Skyrunner's weak voice filled my mind.

"Well that answers that question." I muttered to myself before I used the remote to open a bridge to the island and quickly entered it. Coming out on the island, I sent 'Can you hear me now Skyrunner?'

'Much better Tac, do you have Optimus Prime's answer?' Skyrunner sent back.

'He's agreed to give catching Shockwave a shot and if that fails we will try to find the information we need at Megatron's old citadel on Cybertron. But that's not why I'm here, we're about to launch an all-out assault on the Nemesis."

'Do you require aid?' Skyrunner's voice asked suddenly a lot more focused sounding then before.

I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see it as I sent 'Optimus has stated that we will not call for you unless there are no further options. I am merely here to inform you to be ready just in case.'

'Understood, we shall be awaiting word, good or bad. Good luck Tac.' The Predacon Voice sent back solemnly.

'Thanks, we're probably going to need it.' I sent back before I rushed back through the bridge closing it behind me.

I came out to the sight of everyone standing in front of Optimus who in turn was standing before the large screens. Once I was with the rest of the group, Optimus said "Autobots, we are moving into hopefully the final chapter of this war. For the sake of this planet, the Decepticons must not be allowed to create an Omega Lock, for they are sure to immediately turn its sights on Earth. To that end, we MUST take the warship and end Megatron's tyranny once and for all. This is the battle plan."

FIN

Author's Notes: I'm evil, I know, but if I did the upcoming battle I'm pretty sure I would have at least ten pages for this chapter and be at it all week trying to proofread the entire thing. I'll get started on the next chapter tonight so hopefully you won't have to wait too long. I will leave you with a little bit of a preview though: The fighter jet Autobots will finally all be working as a full squadron soon in a similar manner as the 302s from the Stargate Series. Also, no, the Predacons won't be part of this fight since they have stated previously to be a neutral party unless absolutely needed. They will however be instrumental in the movie chapters.


	18. Chapter 18

18\. Cry Havoc, And Let Slip The Dogs Of War

Story Start: The Nemesis (Third POV)

Soundwave was at the communication station on the bridge of the Nemesis. Things were seemingly situation normal for now but that was all about to change. The screen in front of him went from a purple background to a psychedelically changing tie-dye back ground with a large smiley face grinning at him. Soundwave took a startled step back even as the smiley face began speaking, its voice ringing through the halls of the warship as whatever program this was activated the ship's PA system.

" **Attention, your computer is about to crash. Place your tray and seat backs in their upright positions. Place your head between your legs, and kiss your keyboard goodbye."**

The next instant, the navigation station suddenly overloaded and the screen exploded sending the vehicon drone stationed there flying. Soundwave had just enough time to look towards the station before the ship's ground bridge activated directly beneath him and he dropped, coming out of the portal directly over the sun's surface. For the first time since taking his vow of silence, Soundwave screamed as he was dropped into the burning gases and was instantly melted from the extreme heat, turned into slag within seconds.

Back on the Nemesis, every single communications terminal began playing looney tunes cartoon episodes and the overhead PA system began playing polka music nonstop. Knockout was knocked on his tailpipe when the berthing beds of his medilab overloaded and exploded. The engines of the warship were next to be effected, shutting down and going into a forced lockdown that none of the drones could figure out how to end. The big gun underneath the belly of the ship suddenly began sparking in its housing before it exploded tearing a gaping hole in the vessel's underside. The smaller guns all extended and their movement parts all locked, preventing them from moving even as the energon lines locked down as well. Any drones and Insecticons that had the misfortune to have been patrolling the corridors of the ship's third floor was forcibly put into stasis in the same manner as they had been when the ship was given the Dark Energon infusion. Shockwave was startled when all of the terminals in his lab and all of the other labs suddenly switched to the absolutely dreaded Blue Screen of Death locking all access to the work saved on the stations until Raphael unlocked them thus preventing any attempt of erasing it. The main viewing screen of the bridge switched to a view of the old-style game Pong being played. Every single escape capsule doors were put into lockdown to prevent anyone from using them.

This and several other things began happening sending the warship into chaos and driving Megatron mad. He'd be absolutely furious if he had learned what had happened to Soundwave but the Ground Bridge records had been completely wiped immediately after leaving him unaware of where he went and wondering why he didn't immediately bridge back.

As the Nemesis slid further and further into chaos, no one realized when the ship's cloak dropped and the warship began broadcasting its location. In fact, the first time anyone knew that they were in trouble was when the sensors picked up on a ground bridge opening ten miles behind the stern and four fighter craft roared out into open space. As Seekers and flyer type vehicons began pouring out of the ship's flight deck to deal with the threat the four-fighter craft split into wing pairs and one pair's wing flaps began to hum as blades popped out and began to vibrate.

(First POV)

I rocketed towards the approaching cloud of tangos with Wheeljack flying just slightly behind me, the Wrecker serving as my wingman by dent of me having more 'experience' in dog fighting thanks to Starscream's memories. We both took out two Cons with our blasters before we were right on top of them and our swords took out another Con and then we were past the first cloud, turning to shoot their tail pipes as they continued towards Smokescreen and Bumblebee who were also just reaching the enemy.

As more flyers poured out of the ship as they managed to get out to the flight deck, the outside space dissolved into further chaos, our supposedly primitive fighter forms absolutely shredding the opposition as our weapons tore through the enemies' hulls and a small part of my mind mentally winced in sympathy for the clean-up crews as some of the first dead flyers began to burn as they fell through the Earth's atmosphere. The rest of my mind firmly told that part to shut up and help as I rolled to avoid a blaster shot before rolling right back into place and sliced the shooting flyer from front to back as I flew over him.

Scene Change: Nemesis Bridge (Optimus POV)

I quickly moved out of the ground bridge and onto the Nemesis' bridge, my blasters shooting all enemies on the bridge. As I continued through the room the rest of the Autobots and our human allies followed. Raphael immediately flew over to the communications station and metaphorically jacked himself in as his armor's tech package linked with the warship giving him access to everything he would need.

The young human gave a thumb's up as he said "I'm jacked in." He paused for a moment before he said "Optimus, Megatron is making his way for the armory. Ultra Magus, Shockwave is in a lab two floors down trying to override the system lockdowns. Ratchet, Knock Out is in the main Medical Lab."

"Understood, Autobots, roll out!" I said and me and the others ran out, Raphael staying at the bridge with Nurse Darby staying behind as his back up, the computer prodigy locking the bridge behind the Autobots and other humans as they ran out. I split off with everyone and used my flight tech to rapidly traverse the ship's corridors.

Less than a minute later, I came to the armory just in time to see Megatron picking up the Dark Devastator. Drawing the Star Saber, I held it towards Megatron as I said "Megatron, this war ends today."

"Indeed Optimus, with your destruction!" Megatron said shouting the last two words as his weapon spat out a grenade round that I deflected which tore out a massive chunk of the armory's wall. I let out a battle cry as I rushed forward and the battle was joined.

POV CHANGE: Ultra Magus

I flew through the air with Bulkhead flying behind me, Agent Fowler and Miko riding in his helicopter form's troop transport bay. Flight tech equipped armor they may have but until we reached our objective time was critical. Any con who got in our way was quickly dispatched before we reached our target coordinates and I landed already pulling out my Warhammer making short work of the two drones standing at the door of the lab who had tried to shoot us down on approach. I spared only enough time to see that Bulkhead was in bot mode, Miko standing on a shoulder while Agent Fowler had opted to remain on the floor, a sound tactic to provide an element of surprise from below, before I turned back and said into my com unit "Raphael, unlock the door."

The button to open the door of the lab flashed from red to blue and we stacked on either side of the door, me on the right with Agent Fowler and Bulkhead and Miko on the other side. The Wrecker nodded and I hit the button. Immediately after the door opened, purple bolts of energon fire shot through scorching the opposite wall. Agent Fowler was the first to move, spinning around the door and immediately taking a knee as he fired his energy rifle. His actions must have startled Shockwave because as I came in he was still moving his gun to fire at the small target on the ground. My left blaster firing at him put his attention back on me and I briefly acknowledged the presence of three vehicon drones in the room before I was swinging my hammer into Shockwave's torso, sending the scientist into the wall of the room.

The others with me quickly dispatched the vehicon drones as I approached Shockwave. He lifted his gun to fire at me but the bolt deflected off of my hammer and I swung it onto his gun flattening the barrel making it inoperable. That wasn't going to stop him though as he punched me away and made to run out of the lab. I grabbed the power cable of his gun and yanked him back. As he stumbled towards me, I said "You're not going anywhere Shockwave."

The con spun around to punch me only to hit the shaft of my hammer. I slammed the end of the shaft into his torso pushing him back a few steps only for the con to go flying from Bulkhead's mace as he broadsided him from behind. As Shockwave struggled once more to get to his feet, he stopped as our left-hand blasters powered up and were aimed at him, Miko and Agent Fowler taking aim from a nearby table with their weapons as well. Even without a standard Cybertronian head, I could see the calculations running through Shockwave's neural net before he seemed to slightly slump and said "I surrender."

I couldn't keep the satisfaction out of my tone as I said "This is Ultra Magus to all units, objective secured." Bulkhead and I then proceeded to secure the scientist with a pair of cuffs made specifically for the one eyed con and then had him power down for the rest of the fight.

POV CHANGE: Ratchet

I flew through the corridors, my mini gun taking down anyone in the way, Arcee in vehicle mode with Jack riding on her shooting her own rotary cannons as well as the two bobbed and weaved around the cons' feet. Tac had informed us that Knock Out was most likely planning to run and that in the movie he had switched to the Autobots' side in order to 'join the winning team.' Due to this, Optimus had made Knock Out a capture if possible, kill if not objective.

When we reached the medical bay, the sound of Knock Out's buzz saws could barely be heard through the wall and Jack cocked his head even as he got off Arcee and asked "Is he trying to cut his way through the doors? I don't see any holes in them."

"More likely he is trying to get to where the wires controlling the doors are so that way he can manually override the lock, it's what I would do." I said with a frown.

"Well whatever he's doing, it's best to stop him before he finishes." Arcee said, her arms deploying their blades.

"Indeed. Raphael, please unlock the medical bay door." I said as I turned my hands into their blade configurations. As soon as the button turned from red to blue, I hit it with an elbow and the door sprung open. Knock Out glanced towards it and thus us in surprise and Arcee used that surprise to her advantage, kicking the mad doctor away from the wall and tripping him up as he stumbled back. Jack was right behind her, his humming bo staff spinning and Knock Out's right saw blade fell to the floor sparking. Knockout yelled in pain only to yell much louder as Arcee sliced the other saw off. A desperate switch to his drill and thrust only pushed Arcee off of him when it failed to pierce her much denser than normal body armor but Knock Out took it and scrambled for his Energon prod. He swung back towards us and spun it in a threatening manner only to look down at it in shock when a thin laser beam sliced it in half. He blinked once before he followed the beam's path to see Jack's left hand pointed towards him, a small laser emitter sitting on the top of his hand where it had raised from its housing unit.

"Be glad I used the low power setting." Jack said coldly and the two ends of the prod dropped from limp servos as the near-adult's meaning registered. The doctor chuckled weakly as he took a step back and raised his hands in surrender.

POV CHANGE: Tac

The chaos of the space battle was still going strong as more and more flyers joined the fight. I don't know which side launched the first missile but now their exhaust trails crisscrossed across space as both sides upped the ante. A pair of missiles homed their way towards me as I hit a con with one of my own. As they got closer I transformed into bot mode already spinning and sliced them in half with my left vibration sword disabling them as I continued my spin and transformed back into jet mode, shooting another con as I continued to try and make my way back to Wheeljack after we were separated. I got to him just in time to shoot the con that appeared on his rear and as I slid into wingman position I sent over coms "Having trouble there, old man?"

"Who you calling old kid?" Wheeljack asked even as he transformed and fired both his blasters in two separate directions taking out the cons he was aiming at before transforming back into jet mode to maintain speed. We began spinning around each other in a double helix pattern, our blaster bolts drilling a path through any con unfortunate to be in front of us and our swords taking out anyone on our sides as we punched through the most recent fur-ball. As we turned to come in at another angle, I saw another fur-ball where Bumblebee and Smokescreen were currently back to back in bot mode, their blasters constantly flashing as they shot all around them before I had to turn my focus back onto the enemies closer to me and we were once more in the thick of things, our swords doing just as much damage as our blasters. I don't know how many cons I had killed so far but I'm pretty sure I had made Ace over thirty times already in this battle alone.

POV CHANGE: Optimus

I back pedaled as the Star Saber wove a defensive net protecting me from the Dark Devastator's rapid rounds. As soon as I had enough distance I pulled out my own gatling gun and fired it at Megatron even as I continued deflecting his shots with the sword. The first few shots hit Megatron but he blocked the rest with his weapon. That kept him from firing though and I immediately sent a wave of energy at him. The blast sent him hurtling down the corridor we were we in and he slammed into the far wall. I had already started flying immediately after he was hit and so I got there just as he was trying to get up. The Star Saber flashed and sliced the container holding the weapon's fuel source in half. Megatron screamed in rage as he fired what ammunition he had left at me and I was once more forced back, this time by a grenade round that detonated at close range. Megatron took some damage as well but it allowed him to get back up. Snarling, he discarded his weapon and began firing his arm cannon at me. I deflected it with the Star Saber even as I said "Surrender Megatron, your weapon has been destroyed."

"I will never surrender!" Megatron roared out in anger as he stomped his foot in the puddle of spilled dark energon and it was absorbed into his frame, purple lines spreading throughout his body while his eyes began glowing. His blaster canon fired a much more powerful blast than before and the force of it hitting the Star Saber tossed ME down the hallway this time and then through three walls until I was at the corridor that was up against the ship's hull. I let out a groan as I started to get up only for my optics to widen as Megatron slammed into me in jet mode and we both burst through the ship's hull and out into space and the chaos of the battle between my Fighter Jet Autobots and the flying Vehicons and Seekers.

POV CHANGE: Tac

I was flying past the warship's hull as I took out more cons before the section in front of me exploded outwards and Megatron and Optimus blew out. Giving a startled "Whoa!" I spun away and down from the exit point in reflex before I regathered my bearings and began a long turn to see what was happening, slicing five seekers as I did so. What I saw had me cursing up a storm even as I rocketed to the fight, destroying any con in my sights, my sensors showing the other three also immediately turning to head to our leader as they saw what was going on.

Megatron was glowing purple like some kind of radioactive comet as he swung back around and began firing extremely large bolts of dark energon. Optimus tried to dodge them all but he was forced to deflect one of the blasts with the Star Saber. The force in the projectile was enough to wrench the blade out of the Prime's hand and it went spinning away from him embedding itself into the Nemesis' hull. As he drew closer to Optimus at high speed ready to end the line of Primes once and for all I let loose with my last Hughes and the missile quickly bridged the distance between us and impacted directly into the Silver Gladiator. The titan let out a roar of rage as he was sent spinning off course but to my disbelief he didn't even have a scratch on him as he righted himself and then immediately locked onto me.

"Ah, bolts!" I muttered before Wheeljack was yelling "Tac, get out of there kid!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I shouted as I increased to my top speed for the first time of the fight and took a quick turn to get away from Megatron, barely dodging the first barrage of energy bolts he fired at me. Seekers and Vehicon drones exploded around me as I rapidly fled, trying to keep the purple bolts that were hitting them from hitting me. I cleared the cloud of fighters and flew out into open space. I gave a quick ten count before I did a cobra rise, transforming to bot mode and finishing the turn as I did so, my boot thrusters and the turbines in the extended wings on my back launching me back along my path as I quick drew my vibration swords and blasted past the top of the charging Megatron. Spinning to look behind me, I saw Megatron's engines flicker before dying, the Cybertronian jet slowly splitting apart into three pieces as it continued its previous course.

For a moment, time seemed to stop as everyone behind me stopped shooting at each other and then Smokescreen's voice was heard on the coms as he said "Did Tac just…"

"Slice Megatron like an onion? Sure looks like I did." I said in stunned surprise, not quite believing my crazy stunt had actually worked. A memory of me standing on top of an Ancient Egyptian building staring down Megatron suddenly flashed through my mind and I couldn't help but let out a little laugh as I said to myself "I told him before I liked my odds of taking out another flier."

Silence once more filled the coms before Optimus said over an unsecured channel that everyone Autobot or Decepticon heard "Attention all Cybertronians, Megatron is no more."

FIN


	19. Chapter 19

19\. After The Battle

Story Start: The Space Around The Nemesis

"Attention all Cybertronians, Megatron is no more."

Those words snapped me out of my shock and as I watched the three pieces of warlord begin to descend into Earth's atmosphere, I quickly pulled out my blasters and shot the trails of dark energon that followed the pieces. The trails caught fire and the three pieces detonated, shattering the frame from the inside and scattering chunks of Megatron out like a frag grenade.

"Let's see Unicron try to use Megatron's corpse now." I said over the open airways before I turned towards the ship and sent "This is Tac to all Cons outside of the Nemesis, you have exactly ten seconds to transform into bot mode and surrender. Anyone still in flight mode will be considered as wanting to continue hostilities."

There was a pause for a single moment before almost as one the dozens of Cons still hanging in space transformed and drifted with their hands up. I gave a sigh as clean-up of the battle began, the others both on and off the ship beginning to escort groups of Decepticon war prisoners to the brig. I glanced down at the Earth with a frown before I began flying back towards the ship to help. There was something that I was forgetting, something that should be obvious, but for the spark of me, I couldn't remember.

Time Skip: One Hour Later/Location: Sarah Ann Island

I was surrounded by the Predacons as I sat down in one of the island's clearings. They all had pensive looks as they digested the news that the war was over and that as soon as the Forge was fully charged in a month they would be going to the world of their ancestors, a world which they had never known and where hopefully, more remains of their kind could be found and revived alongside the fossils that we Autobots had secured. I honestly couldn't blame them. The war that they had been made to fight in had ended not even a week after they were brought online, without them ever having participated in a single battle. Even if they had taken a neutral stance, only to be called on in the utmost of emergencies, they had to be questioning their place in this universe.

I was drawn out of my own musings when Ultra Magus contacted me over the comms as he said "Base to Tac, Optimus Prime requests your presence back on the Nemesis."

"Understood Commander." I said before I sighed and said "Well, duty calls."

"Go where you are needed Tac." Skyrunner said and I nodded before I took out the ground bridge remote and set the coordinates for the Nemesis.

Time Skip: One Week Later

I sighed as I nudged another floating con corpse on track with the Nemesis. Once there, another Autobot would push them through a Space Bridge set to dump them into the sun. One week after the major space battle and we were still finding Con remains in orbit around the planet. Remains which had to be secured before their orbits degraded and they joined the con parts that had already fell to the Earth giving the US military all kinds of headaches in trying to clean up before some civie finds them and starts shouting about giant alien robots on earth. At least the battle had taken place over the continental US so we didn't have to deal with foreign countries trying to get their hands on Cybertronian biotech. Although how we'd recover the few cons who had fell into the Pacific I wasn't sure. Still, I'd take corpse retrieval any day over the week over what Ratchet was having to go through.

Shockwave may have surrendered, but by no means was he cooperating. Knock Out at least didn't mind lending a hand to Raphael with doing busy body work on the ship to get it back to working order, the ex con even getting his Decepticon emblem swapped with an Autobot shield at one point. Shockwave though had decided he would be as stubborn as possible and Ratchet was spending hours linked with his mind trying to find what he would need to bring the Predacons back as a race. It was honestly looking like we would have to find the lab where 'Predaking' was made to figure out how to increase our allies' numbers.

I metaphorically shook my head as I came up to the next body and nudged it on its way to its penultimate destination.

Time Skip: Three weeks Later

It was finally time to head back to Cybertron. The forge was fully charged probably for the first time in eons and we were all simply making last minute preparations. Miko for once wasn't in full on squirrel with a sugar rush mode, the fact that it could be months before she could see Bulkhead again after this tempering her excitement to be seeing Cybertron in a much better situation than the previous time. I didn't care what the situation was though, the Resonance Blaster was staying on my arm and in firing mode until whatever metaphorical curveball fate threw at us in regards to Unicron came through. Alpha Trion's words still rang through my head even after I had destroyed Megatron's body and I STILL couldn't remember the seemingly obvious thing that would solve a lot of our problems.

I was drawn from my thoughts when Optimus came over and said "Tac, Could I have a moment of your time before we leave?"

"Sure Optimus, what's up?" I asked and the big guy waved for me to follow him.

The last of the Primes led me outside Hangar E and took a quick look around. Satisfied with what he saw, he said "Tac, will you hold onto something for me?"

I blinked and said "It's not the key to Vector Sigma is it?"

Optimus looked startled for a moment before he chuckled and sad "I do not plan on needing Vector Sigma's power again anytime soon Tac, I can assure you of that. No, what I want you to have is this." Optimus' chest cavity opened and he carefully pulled out what in his hands looked like a metal shaving the size of a paint sample square, a drop of crystalized energon on it.

I accepted the piece of red metal and frowned as I said "Optimus, I don't think I like where this is going. Why are you giving me a piece of your frame and a drop of your energon?"

Optimus gained a serious look as he said "Tac, Alpha Trion's words have been playing through my mind. If what you have seen is to come to pass, then the Forge would become unusable. It is too great a tool for that to happen."

"Ok, but why are you giving me the metaphorical key to it? Shouldn't one of the Autobots who have been with you for the eons have this?" I asked holding said key in my hand a little higher.

Optimus glanced into the hangar, at a spot that my mind absently supplied me was where Bumblebee and Ultra Magus had been talking when I last saw them as he said "Do not worry, I have taken the same measure with one of the original members of Team Prime. However, your situation has made giving you the same ability a prudent action in my mind."

"I'm afraid I don't follow." I admitted with a frown.

Optimus seemed to sigh without sighing as he said "Tac, despite the species of your new body, Cybertron is not your home. You have never fought on its metallic soil by the side of your Autobot comrades, never seen it as it was before the war, never made any memories of it beyond what you saw when you retrieved the weapons from the site of the Omega Lock. To you, it is but another planet, nothing more or less than the majority of other planets in this galaxy. And while in time that may change, in my spark something tells me your place will ultimately be here, on Earth. If that is indeed the case, you may require the use of the Forge before you plant your roots as the humans would say."

I gave a deep sigh before I said "I understand." Looking back up at Optimus, I hefted the sliver again and said "What do I need to do?"

"Merely place the sliver onto your dominant hand, it will do the rest." Optimus said and I did so. The piece of metal flashed once before it seemed to turn into liquid and seeped into my right servo. I blinked at the sight, and at the fact that I hadn't felt anything before I flexed it once and looked back up at Optimus who simply nodded before he entered the Hangar again. I watched him go for a moment before I sighed and followed, coming to a stop beside Wheeljack.

Optimus studied us all for a moment, Humans, Predacons and Autobots alike before he turned and activated the bridge. We all followed him through the portal and came out on the other side into bright sunlight which seemed rather fitting for what was about to happen. We all stood outside the remains of the Omega Lock as Optimus walked to its control area. Pulling the Forge off of its mount next to the Star Saber on his back, the Prime took a solid stance before he swung it directly onto the control center and white light filled the area.

When the light faded the Omega Lock was once more whole and everyone rejoined Optimus. Once we had surrounded the prime in a circle, he pushed a button and the swirling mass of cyber matter above us fired a massive beam that shot a thousand feet into the air before turning at ninety degrees and went off into the horizon. It must have turned again and entered the well of All Sparks because a minute after it disappeared, a blue glow filled the area and tremors formed as the planet began renewing itself. Five minutes later, the tremors stopped and the entire area around us was now a shiny metallic look instead of rusted over.

I looked around at the revived world and said "We've got a lot to do, but this is certainly a start."

"Indeed Tac, but first, we have a ceremony to do." Optimus said as he placed the forge on his back and borrowed my remote to the ground bridge. Optimus once more led us through the portal to a currently unknown destination.

FIN

Sorry this took a day or two extra, work has been rather draining of late.


	20. Chapter 20

20\. Warrior

Story Start: The Well of All Sparks

We came out on a ledge and I couldn't help myself in joining the humans as we all said "Whoa."

Looming over us, at an almost impossible to comprehend size was a giant orb with a shining circle on the end looking up into the massive tunnel that led upwards to the surface, wires connecting the orb to the surrounding walls. As soon as we all exited the Ground Bridge, I felt an almost overwhelming but somehow caring presence settle its 'gaze' over me and I heard in my head _**'You are not one of my children, though you bare their form. Who are you?'**_

I blinked but before I could say anything, Optimus stepped to the edge of the ledge and placed the Star Saber point first on the metallic ledge as he turned and said "Autobots, form ranks." We all formed a single line, the Predacons forming a half circle as Optimus began speaking again. "We have endured bitter hardship and countless battles. But at long last, our home planet has been restored. We would not be standing on Cybertronian soil were it not for the valiant efforts of both those assembled here and our absent comrades who have helped us fight for good and peace. But on this day, at the dawn of a new era, we gather to bestow a special honor. One earned by Bumblebee, through his bravery and devotion to the cause of peace. Step forward and kneel Scout."

Bumblebee walked forward and took a knee as Optimus continued "In the company of your fellow Autobots and Predacon allies, in the presence of our creator Primus, the living core of our planet, and, by the authority vested in me by the Matrix of Leadership." Optimus raised the Star Saber up into the air before tapping the end on each of the scout's shoulder as he said "Arise, a warrior."

Bumblebee rose back to his feet amid the cheers of everyone else before they quieted again as Optimus said "Tac, step forward and kneel." Suddenly feeling nervous, I did as ordered feeling Primus' attention once more focus on me after it had watched the ceremony that just took place. Optimus studied me for a moment before he said "Tac, through actions not your own, you have entered this plane, in a form not of your birth. You have shown incredible bravery in fighting beside us in a war not of your own, your intelligence has allowed us to not only survive our circumstances but to thrive, and your compassion has allowed our Predacon allies to be here today when they would surely have been destroyed without your guidance. Your foresight has allowed us to fully restore Cybertron and you have rid the Universe of the War Monger Megatron." Optimus tapped my shoulders with the Star Saber like he did Bumblebee as he said "By the power vested in me by the Matrix of Leadership, I name you Honorary Warrior."

Before I could rise or the others celebrate, Skyrunner stepped forward. He gave Primus a cocked head look, clearly talking with the creator of Cybertronians before he nodded and took Optimus's place. Gazing down at me, he said "Tac, your actions have secured the revival of a once extinct species and the alliance between this planet's past and its present. By the power given to me by my Brethren, I Skyrunner, Voice of the Predacons do name you Friend of the Beast Tribe." His right hand turned into a blade that just gave off a sense of primal might which he used to also tap my shoulders. His sword turned back into his hand which he held out to me. I took it and he pulled me up as he said "From now on, no matter where you go, you are one of us Tac."

I gave a nod of thanks to him before I looked towards Primus and said "Hard to believe I'm looking at a being that can be properly classed as a god of life creation." I frowned and said "Optimus, if Unicron does come back and he succeeds."

"The everything we have fought for would be for nothing. We must NOT let that happen, no matter the cost." Optimus said with a frown. Even though I was no longer human, I felt my body go cold at his words. Something told me the cost would be far higher than I would like.

FIN

Sorry for this being late, four nights in a row is not helping me get this out on time.


	21. Chapter 21

21\. Past Brought Back To The Present

I gave Skyrunner a flat look and gestured at the machine before me and said "Even after a week, I still cannot believe this thing exists."

Skyrunner cocked his head and said "You were the one who came up with it."

I sighed and said "I know, but the fact that I got the idea of it from a kid's game is a little absurd."

As if proving my point, the massive machine opened a pair of doors with a hiss and a Predacon currently in bot mode walked out. He was quickly grabbed by Knock Out when he stumbled, the medic leading him over to a medical berth, another holding a femme that Ratchet was just finishing looking over. Even as that was happening by us, on the other end of the machine one of the original Predacons was putting a fossil onto a conveyer belt that ran into the machine.

Said machine was the result of a mission to Megatron's original citadel. Ratchet had been unable to get everything he would need from Shockwave to safely start up a revival program for the Predacon fossils we had secured, both on Earth and later Cybertron. But when we got to the citadel Raphael and Ratchet could not find any data about any of Shockwave's labs, or any other kind of sensitive cyber material that would be useful to the Autobots for that matter, even with Knock Out and me helping them with our knowledge of the Decepticon tech. It was clear that the cyclopes had taken the eons that he had been stranded on Cybertron to do a thorough security sweep of any and all Decepticon databases that he could get his single non-gun hand on.

We were at a dead end, our Predacon allies beginning to despair that they would be the only ones of their kind, and at least two of them beginning to believe that they shouldn't have actually killed Predaking even if he was serving the one who had ordered their deaths. That was when I had an absolutely insane idea when I had told Wheeljack during one of our spars that it was too bad we couldn't just make the fossil revival machine from the Pokemon games. Wheeljack almost took off my left arm off when I had suddenly stopped and slammed my right palm into my head almost denting it before I took off looking for Optimus.

My crazy idea had worked and now what would have taken weeks was done in a little under four hours. Fossil goes in one side, Predacon comes out the other. We already had Predacons numbering in the mid-forties and almost all of them were helping us prepare areas for returning Cybertronians when they got here after receiving the message Optimus had sent out, the few who weren't being the ones bringing in more fossils and one Predacon femme who had apparently decided she had wanted to be a medic and had promptly metaphorically glued herself to Ratchet and Knock Out's sides and was currently serving as their gofers even as the two MOs gave her little bits of impromptu medical lessons.

Speaking of the Prime, he was due to return from where he had sent the All Spark within the day, the only reason why he and Wheeljack had waited so long to go get it being that I had caught him just as he was about to leave and he had wanted to make the revival machine with the Forge before he headed out, both of us wanting to deny Unicron the chance of making Terracons out of the Predacon fossils if we could help it. I was drawn out of my thoughts when Raphael's panicked voice sounded over my com unit.

"Tac, you and Skyrunner need to get to the Nemesis pronto!"

Said Predacon and I traded worried looks even as I put a finger to my com unit and said "Raf, what is it?"

"The warship's sensors are picking up an object traveling into the system at an incredibly high speed, an object that is almost bursting with Dark Energon!"

"Ah hell." I cursed even as my hand was reaching for the Ground Bridge remote and I continued "What's Optimus' ETA?"

"He's still six hours out, the object will be here in three though." Raphael said as we walked out of the portal and onto the bridge.

"Then we're going to have to start without him." Ultra Magus said as he entered the bridge from wherever in the warship he had been previously. The commander looked towards Skyrunner as he said "Skyrunner, please contact your brethren and tell them that as of this moment we are moving to high alert and to be prepared for combat. Also, tell them that I am requesting any and all flyers to make their way to the Nemesis as soon as possible. I want to meet this object in orbit before it reaches Cybertronian soil and I believe we could use all the help we can get."

"You'll have it." Skyrunner promised before he closed his eyes to send the message. I shook my head as I once more marveled at the fact that one of Shockwave's Predacon clones was an honest to Primus techno psychic. I focused my thoughts back to the Present as I turned to Ultra Magus and said "Commander, permission to scout ahead."

The commander frowned for a moment before he nodded and said "Long distance recon only soldier. Take your readings than get back here as soon as possible." I nodded and quickly moved to Raf's work station. Once I had the object's coordinates, I bridged to the moon closest to its route and transformed into Jet Mode and blasted towards it. Thirty minutes later I was coming in range for my Interceptor sensor package to detect the object and I sent everything I had to work on collecting the data of our tango. I frowned as the first bits of telemetry came back to me and said "Strange, the object's barely bigger than I am. I'd have thought it would be bigger if this IS Unicron coming." I then picked up a slightly corrupted IFF signal and I did the Cybertronian equivalent of a Spit-Take as I muttered "Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

Immediately opening a channel with the Nemesis, I sent "Nemesis, this is Tac, I know who Unicron's using as a host."

"Who is it soldier?" Ultra Magus asked.

"Starscream."

FIN

As an apology for the late update have another.


	22. Chapter 22

22\. Fight Against Inevitability

Story Start: Space, Cybertron Solar System

"Starscream?!" Raf asked over the coms incredulously, "What's he doing here, I mean, he didn't have Dark Energon in him when you killed him, did he?"

"Not that I know of, but he did have it in him a couple of years ago, that must have been enough to form a link with Unicron's Anti-Spark." I said even as my sensors continued scanning the fast object as it continued into the solar system. Something about the shape of the craft caught my eye and I said "And apparently Unicron didn't approve of Starscream's vehicle mode either. This object coming towards us has nothing in common with an F-15, it looks more Cybertronian in nature now." It almost looked like a downsized version Of Unicron's jet mode in the movie, pointed nose, wide swept back wings and what looked like some kind of metallic bug with WAY too big pincers sitting on top.

"I'm not picking up anything that looks like missiles on it. Either he doesn't have any or they're kept internally instead of on the wings like Starscream did. I do however see what look like four energy blasters at the base of the nose." I said with a mental frown. Those blasters combined on either side were as big as the jet mode was tall, a massive upgrade from the barely one tenth size they had been on my old jet form and twice as many as well. Getting hit by a blast from them was sure to put a Bot on the ground, and there was a good chance they wouldn't be getting up after either. Still.

"His form doesn't really seem to be made for atmospheric flight, too many protrusions pointing out of the main body. Space flight most likely isn't a problem for him but I bet in the air fighter Bots could fly circles around him."

"Let us hope we are not given a chance to test that theory." Ultra Magus said before he continued "Finish your scans as quickly as possible and then return to base Tac. Do not under any circumstance engage the enemy without back up."

"Don't need to tell me twice, those blasters look downright nasty to get hit by." I said as my last scans ran before I turned around and flew back into range of the ship's ground bridge.

Scene Change: The Nemesis

I came out of the portal on the bridge, twenty-four of the new Predacons talking on the observatory rows below the bridge that led to the main viewing screen and the command stations in groups of three with one of the older Predacons seeming to serve as the fourth and leading member of their group. The rest of the 'old guard' as it were that could fly had formed their own wing groups, one such group had Bulkhead with them. Bumblebee and Smokescreen were quick to wave me over to them where they were talking with Ultra Magus and Arcee.

I walked over with a frown and said "I don't like this, we're missing one of our Jet Fighter squadron members."

"Which is why Arcee will be paired with Smokescreen while Bumblebee will act as your wingman. It is not ideal, but it should be sufficient since there should not be multiple enemies in this fight." Ultra Magus said and I nodded with a sigh. Bumblebee may not have swords like Wheeljack and I did in our jet forms but his flight mode DID have a bigger missile payload than we did and that would have to do.

With that settled, Ultra Magus had me download my sensor scans of our target into the War Ship's data banks before he gathered everyone's attention. As he began speaking, the data appeared on the main screen. Two images of the Cybertronian like jet among it, both revolving in a circle, one on the y axis and one on the x axis.

"Alright everybody, listen up! Unicron the Chaos Bringer is in our solar system with plans of destroying our Creator's spark. We are the only ones who stand between him and Cybertronian soil and we must not falter. Autobots, we will engage Unicron before he enters the atmosphere, Predacons, you will remain in the highest atmosphere you are capable of flying in to serve as a last line of defense. Thanks to Tac's recon flight, we know he has a very powerful set of blasters at the base of his nose cone so remain out of his direct front by any means necessary. It is unknown if he has missiles though his host did have two before he was killed so assume he carries them internally. His frame does not appear to be made with aerial combat maneuvers in mind so the chances of out flying him in the air of our planet's atmosphere are high, use that as much to your advantage as you can."

Skyrunner took over the briefing from where he was standing beside Ultra Magus as he said "Non-flight capable Predacons will be waiting on the ground in the event we fail to prevent Unicron from reaching planet side. The majority will be in the sectors that are closest to Unicron's entry point with the remaining five guarding our ancestors' remains. We must NOT allow the Chaos Bringer to have access to them, for if he turns them into Terror cons there is a near one hundred percent chance that we will never be able to revive them and they will be kept permanently from once more living."

Ultra Magus picked up the thread again as he said "We have good reason to believe that in Bot mode Unicron is capable of creating energy constructs ranging from high powered blaster canons, to bladed and blunt weapons such as sickles and hammers, to explosive weapons such as exploding javelins. We believe that it will take a couple of seconds for these constructs to form so if you see his hands begin to glow get out of close quarters as fast as you can."

I spoke up next to Bumblebee and the others as I said "Adding to our problems is the fact that while Unicron is currently housed inside a mortal shell, he is still very much a god, with a highly durable frame to match that status. Until Optimus returns and can empty the Reliquary of the All Sparks into Primus' core, we have no way of containing him. We are going to have to constantly keep him engaged in combat for at least three hours and his body is highly resistant to damage. One mighty strike will not be able to end him, we must inflict a death of a thousand paper cuts as the humans on Earth would say, accumulating enough battle damage over time to keep him in one place."

"Is there any chance the Immobilizer of the Polarity Gauntlet could work on him?" Smokescreen asked even as his hand drifted over the Phase Shifter on his left wrist.

My own hand brushed the Resonance Blaster on my right wrist as I frowned and said "The Polarity Gauntlet will work though his strength can make it a double-edged blade, drawing the person who uses it towards him. It is unknown if the Immobilizer could work on him since it is quite possible he could just create new energy construct limbs and I would not advise the test to see if the Apex Armor is capable of standing up to his attacks since that would leave the wearer with no weapons and only brute strength attacks against a highly durable opponent. Although if he or she could keep him engaged in a fist fight it could give others a chance to recover enough to rejoin the fight."

Ultra Magus considered this before nodding. He turned to Skyrunner and said "Skyrunner, pick two of your land bound forces to use the Polarity Gauntlet and the Immobilizer. Pick a third as well for the Apex Armor if you're willing to put its durability to the test."

"Good thing Miko's not here otherwise she'd ask for it." Raf said with a frown. The kid was the only human currently in the Cybertronian Solar System, the others currently back on Earth where the needed resources for a human to live were much easier to get their hands on without having to be in a sealed warship with a Forge built rebreathing generator for long periods of time if they didn't want to have to rely on their armors. I wasn't sure whether to count that as a blessing or a curse at this point in time.

A sudden thought of 'Too bad we can't just stick him in a Master Ball' crossed my neural net and I blinked before face palming and shouting "I am such an idiot!" Everyone turned towards me but I was ignoring them as I quickly rushed off the bridge and to the Nemesis' vault where the Forge was kept when not in use. I detoured just long enough to grab a chunk of unrefined Energon on the way and skidded into the vault in front of the Forge, locking the door behind me in a way that it would take even Raf a few minutes to open.

Taking the Forge in my hands, I watched as it powered up before I began swinging it at the chunk of Energon and a few moments later, I had a spherical shape in my hands and I put the Forge back in its place and walked over to the doors where a banging sound was. Lying through the proverbial teeth, I held the sphere up for a surprised Ultra Magus to see and said "Master Ball, able to catch any Pokémon first time, every time. Optimus made it when he first retrieved the Forge under my advice but I completely forgot about the damn thing until now. We use this and we don't have to wait for Optimus to get here with the reliquary."

Ultra Magus frowned and said "I have heard of this Pokemon series from Miko while I was still on Earth. I am unconvinced such a device will work on a Cybertronian body."

"Only one way to find out." I said with a shrug, leaving the vault and closing the door as I did so. Back on the bridge, I explained what I went to get and more than one Autobot found their face getting a new introduction with their hands.

Arcee gave me a flat look and said "Tac, that must be the stupidest thing you have ever or ever will ask Optimus to make."

"Not if it works." Smokescreen said with a grin on his face.

"Doubtful, though still worth a shot." Ratchet said even as he moved his hand away from his face.

The rest of the meeting was spent with Skyrunner assigning places for the Predacon flyers while the Autobots continued to debate the odds of the Master Ball working.

Time Skip: One Hour Later

It was time. Unicron had reached a point where he would have to begin slowing down before he entered orbit. A god he may be, but his mortal shell still had to obey the laws of physics when he entered a planet's atmosphere if he didn't want to absolutely ruin it from the friction. At just before that point in space terms (Which Raf had calculated within thirty seconds of the problem being handed to him), Bumblebee and I had a rotating wagon wheel set up, our maneuver looking more like the rings of a gyroscope than a two-dimensional maneuver meant to take on outnumbered opponents heading for your position, keeping Unicron from getting an easy lock on us with those deadly blasters of his. We were in bot mode for the better turning ability while the others maintained a line formation further back, ready to aid once the battle was joined.

The first shot was made by Unicron, the wide blast missing me as I spun away, my already drawn right blaster launching my counter strike before I was coming up to my turn and Bumblebee was coming out of his own turn ready to fire his own blaster. As Unicron fired another shot Bumblebee did this kind of ballet pirouette to avoid it even as the missile on his arm fired and slammed into the nose of the Cybertronian Jet. Surprise, surprise, the jet came out of the explosion with nothing more than a scuff mark on the outer hull. The next instant he was in range and the turbines on my extended wings joined my boot thrusters and I rocketed over, slamming onto Unicron's form, the Resonance blaster on my right wrist going into firing mode and I blasted the Chaos Bringer with sound at point blank range the emptiness of space not hindering the sonic gun at all with it physically touching the enemy.

To my admitted surprise, the god in a metal suit actually yelled in pain before he transformed and threw me off of him, both hands going to his audio receptors as he glared at me. I let out a smirk as I said "Gee, Starscream, you got even uglier since I killed you. I'm glad the Forge of Solis Prime changed me and not Unicron." That was certainly true, his face was sharper, the wings on his back jagged, those pincers I had mentioned before taking the place of the split fin of his old jet's tail fin. His shoulder puldrons also had jagged spikes curving up, and probably more worriedly in my mind, the stiletto part of his feet was replaced with blades, on both back of the foot and the tip of the shoes. His sharpened digits were also much sharper with blades like Arcee's on his wrists. All of this combined with the three-foot difference from before in height gave Starscream a much more menacing look.

A menacing look that only grew with the sneer Unicron sent to me as he said "I will enjoy wrecking that frame of yours, if only for the fact it came from the Tool of a Prime!" Unicron lunged towards me, only to meet my rising kick, his chin trading greetings with my foot, that knocked him upwards in a spin and me downwards in the zero gravity. I took the time it took him to recover to grab the Master Ball in my right hand and chucked it at him. The ball somehow managed to hit him right on the face as he was spinning and the look on his face as the sphere split opened and sucked him into it with a beam of red light was absolutely _priceless_.

"Did that actually work?!" Arcee asked incredulously over the coms as the ball drifted along the path it had taken when it bounced off Unicron's face. I frowned from where I was as I saw the purple, red, and white ball beginning to blacken and said "Unfortunately no, it looks like Unicron is breaking out already." Right as I finished speaking the ball turned fully black before exploding like a hand grenade, a purple shockwave bursting out as Unicron let out a loud yell.

His furious gaze locked onto me and he yelled "You bothersome pest! Think you can trap me, do you?!" His hands lit up with purple fire forming canons that he immediately fired at me.

"Whoa!" I yelled as I blasted away from the shots, firing my blasters at him simply for the principle of it: if someone shoots at you, shoot at him back. Understandably, I was unsurprised to see my shots did nothing except for when a lucky shot him in the eye causing Unicron to roar in irritation and merge his two canons into one four times the originals' size and fired it at me. My turbines worked overtime as they got me clear of the blast. I cleared the bolt just in time to see Bumblebee's missile slam into Unicron's back. Unicron let out another roar of anger as he spun towards Bumblebee and fired at him only to miss as well. This was the way the rest of the fight was set for the next five minutes, me and Bumblebee constantly grabbing Unicron's attention and drawing back. You could see the irritation in Unicron's eyes grow more and more as he kept making different energy constructs trying to catch us. Unfortunately, with no gravity and nothing around us, those constructs were having trouble catching us. And the one time he tried to use a net construct to grab me I sliced it apart with my swords. Unicron finally had enough and transformed into his jet mode and rocketed relatively up and past the two of us, bypassing the other Bots as he made his way to the planet.

"Well that was rude of him." I said even as we transformed and went after him, the other Autobots also dashing to try and intercept Unicron. We reached extreme blaster range just as the first fireball ignited, the explosion weak in the thin atmosphere but never the less serving the purpose of telling all of the other Predacons where the enemy was. Arcee was the first bot to fire, the little two-wheeler always being the best shot, even outshooting Optimus one time back on earth during practice. As expected, her blast was dead on but Unicron apparently had bigger things to worry about as instead of turning to us, he tried to weave around a Predacon only for another to latch onto him. We watched the beast bot do its utmost best to shred the flyer mode even as the Chaos Bringer continued to try and get to the surface.

The Predacon that had managed to latch itself onto Unicron had upset its flight capabilities enough that it was easy for two more to dog pile onto him and the three were trying to rip out vital components from Starscream's upgraded frame. The fact that no parts were being ripped off showed that they weren't having any luck and I sent over the Coms "Predacons, break off, I'm going to make a pass with my vibration swords." The three beast bots jumped off Unicron's jet mode like it had suddenly turned to lava causing it to spin in the air before righting itself. Unicron made to blast its way down to the surface now that it didn't have anyone on him but before he could I extended my swords from my wing flaps and they hummed as I rocketed forward. I hit the Chaos bringer at a speed that would have shredded a normal plane just from touching it with a sword-less wing tip.

Only for us both to ricochet off at sharp angles, the two of us spinning in crazy gyroscopic patterns. I transformed and fought to regain control but when I did, I couldn't help but exclaim "Oh come on! A Mach 3.3 strike with a vibration sword should have sliced him like an onion!" The inconsiderate bastard was still trying to correct his own flight path but even from where I was my sensors showed absolutely no damage whatsoever on Unicron's frame.

"How in the world do we kill this thing?!" One of the newer clones asked frustrated as it and more Predacons rushed towards the tumbling Cybertronian jet and began firing explosive fireballs at it until they were close enough to once more grapple with it.

"Let's just hope the Immobilizer and Polarity Gauntlet work." Bumblebee said as we continued to try and keep the jet from dropping further into the atmosphere. Several more Predacons latched onto the jet and began rapidly flapping their wings, trying to counter the jet's engines even as they took care to stay out of the way of the jet's blasters. There were ten of the beast bots straining to keep the Chaos Bringer in the upper atmosphere when Unicron apparently had enough and transformed into bot mode, the god roaring as he threw the Predacons off of him before forming blasters.

"Predacons Scatter!" Ultra Magus called and the Predacons were quick to follow his order, the Autobots taking their place, our flight capabilities allowing us to better maneuver around Unicron's bot mode. Once again Arcee hit him first, this time her rotary canons firing. "Go for the eyes!" I shouted and followed my own advice, my blasters firing as quickly as I could pull the triggers. Unfortunately Unicron decided now was the time to play defense and his blasters disappeared only to be replaced by a spherical shell of energy, our weapons fire glancing off the shell even as it began glowing red from the friction of entry.

We continued to attack the shell as we all followed it but there was no noticeable effect causing Smokescreen to grumble "This is getting us nowhere, he's still heading for the surface and we're wasting energon!"

"Maybe I can remedy one of those problems." Ultra Magus said and he shot forward, past the sphere and stopped a mile below. The commander took off his war hammer and swung once before he slammed the weapon into the falling sphere at an angle. The Impact sent Ultra Magus spinning downwards but it did also send the sphere back up. Until it stopped its upward rise and shot back down, taking care to avoid where the commander was righting himself.

Scowling, I said "Enough of this." Transforming into a jet, I shot forward at top speed and shot past the sphere. Transforming back into bot mode, the Resonance Blaster on my right wrist extended and I fired it at the sphere. The waves of sound slammed into the sphere and I was satisfied to see a drastic drop in its speed. As the sphere approached the sound waves began putting more and more force against the shell. My turbines and boot thrusters worked overtime to keep me from dropping as the shell kept coming closer to me. My jaw gritted as the sphere kept getting closer but when it was about thirty feet above me the shell suddenly exploded and I let out a cry of surprise as a purple shockwave slammed into me. By the time I recovered from the uncontrolled tumble it put me in the Cybertronian jet was miles below me with more Predacons trying to intercept. Giving a sigh, I muttered "This is going to take a while." I transformed and flew down to rejoin the defenders.

Time Skip: One Hour Later: Fifteen Minutes To Optimus Prime's Arrival.

It was satisfying to know that my belief that fighter Bots could fly circles around Unicron in the thicker air of the lower atmosphere was correct. What wasn't so satisfying was having to constantly shift who was doing said flying to refuel and rearm ourselves. Just as I launched out of the Ground Bridge back towards the fight after ten minutes of rushed resupply I saw Smokescreen launch his last missile and call "I'm out!" As I took his place, I took a quick look 'down' with my sensors and a severe frown was on my face when it became clear we were running out of time. We were just shy a thousand feet and somehow the fight had moved directly over the mass boneyard of Predacon fossils. Either Unicron could sense the remains or he was curious about why there were Predacons on the ground guarding this spot. Either way, we couldn't let him make landfall here.

That thought in mind, I sent over the coms "We can't let him land here, everyone scatter on my mark. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Mark!" The Predacons and Autobots around Unicron scattered just as the Resonance Blaster slammed into Unicron's side throwing him hundreds of feet. He continued to 'skid' in the air as I followed, flying in some slightly funny parody of Superman, right arm out as my boot thrusters kept me on target, constantly flying towards the bad guy who was in turn being thrown farther away by the simple action of me keeping the Resonance Blaster firing every second I flew in the same direction as our enemy. I was able to keep Unicron in the sound field for a good minute, taking us past the mass grave to the outer area where there were only a few bones left, maybe ten at the most. At that point, Unicron had managed to work past the ringing of his mortal shell's audio receptors and created an energy construct ramp that pushed him down away from the sound attack. Not willing to help him with his downward progress, I turned off the Resonance Blaster and rocketed forward, intent on kicking the jet up in the air and then blasting him with sound from below.

Unfortunately, that plan didn't work as hoped. As I kicked at the jet, it shifted to Bot mode and Unicron grabbed my foot with one hand. The Chaos Bringer sneered at me as his free hand began glowing with magic and a sickle formed. The Dark God gave a roar of triumph as he lifted his arm and brought it down, the point posed to pierce my spark chamber. I merely gave him a flat look and shot him point blank in the face with the Resonance Blaster. Unicron's hands went to his audio receptors as the sound pushed us away from each other and I wasted no time shooting him in the face with my left-hand blaster, which hit his right eye much to my satisfaction.

Unfortunately, before I could continue the fight I was forced to adjust my body and land with bent knees on Cybertronian soil, a Predacon fossil not five feet from my left foot. I barely had time to notice it before Unicron slammed down onto Cybertronian soil not twenty feet from me, a sneer on his face as he said "You have fought well for a follower of the Prime, bothersome pest. But it has all been for naught. For I Unicron, the Chaos Bringer, once more walk this planet's land!"

END

Author's Notes: I am SOO sorry this took so long. Every day after work I practically slept the day away and even when I had time to write I had a hard time of making this believable. I wanted to get all the way up to Optimus' return but this was getting and taking too long. As an apology, take the first Omake of this story.

Omake: Everyone stared as the Master Ball rolled around on the Nemesis flight deck where it had drifted from where the ball had been used, the faint shouting of Unicron's voice heard before it suddenly went silent as the ball stopped rolling after thirty minutes and gave off a ding.

"I can't believe that worked." Arcee said with a dropped jaw causing me to snicker.

Three hours later, Optimus looked at the Master ball in his right hand before he looked up at me and said "Tac, I must insist you put this member of your party into the PC."

As the rest of the Autobots gathered around us fell to the floor out of shock, I howled with laughter, clutching where my stomach would be if I was still human.


	23. Chapter 23

23\. Finishing The Fight

Story Start: Edge of Mass Predacon Graveyard

"You have fought well for a follower of the Prime, bothersome pest. But it has all been for naught. For I Unicron, the Chaos Bringer, once more walk this planet's land!"

Unicron let out a roar after his proclamation and rushed me, not even bothering with energy constructs as he drew closer, the sharper than razor digits of his fingers swiping at me, I ducked out of the way and grabbed the wrist Judo throwing the titan over my shoulder as I said "We may not have stopped you from making planetfall Unicron, but if you think we'll let you take out Primus then you have another thing coming." I jumped up to avoid Unicron's leg sweep and drew my swords in time to deflect the right arm swing he sent trying to take my head off with the wrist blade. Unicron parried my answering swing for his right shoulder only to get a chest full of boot thruster as I kicked him.

Unicron skidded back with a frown before the blades on his wrist, feet, and his fingers all lit up in a purple glow causing me to frown as my swords began to vibrate. However before we engaged in combat again, Unicron's form lit up in gold light and he was raised into the air. As Unicron began hurling verbal abuse at the person responsible for his current predicament, I saw behind him the Predacon holding the Polarity Gauntlet scowling at the Chaos Bringer before he flicked the wrist holding the Decepticon weapon sending Unicron flying into metallic 'boulder' before he drew back and slammed back into it. After that second move where the Predacon apparently learned how to do what he needed, his pace picked up and soon the Predacon was shadow boxing as he continued slamming Unicron into the boulder, causing cracks to start forming before Unicron shattered the boulder with his body and kept flying for a good thousand yards.

The Chaos Bringer now out of range, the Predacon walked over towards me with a scowl and said "He's not getting any of these remains."

"Agreed." I said even as the Chaos Bringer let out a roar of anger and began rushing back towards us, purple energy surrounding his entire body. We began running towards him as well but before we could get back into range of the gauntlet a blue wave of energy slammed into Unicron's rushing form and his body locked causing him to immediately trip. Unicron's frozen body skidded the remaining distance to us and we glanced to the side the beam came from seeing two other Predacons, one of them holding the Immobilizer, rushing towards us.

The two Predacons skidded to a stop beside us, and the Predacon with the Immobilizer grinned and said "Oh good, we got here in time. I was afraid we would miss all the fun."

The Predacon with the Guantlet frowned and said "This isn't a game Darkrush."

"I know that Sideslash." The Predacon said before we all had our attention drawn back to Unicron's frozen body as we heard a rumble from the body as it briefly lit up in purple fire and the limbs began twitching. As the body began rising, the third Predacon frowned as she stepped forward and said "Looks like I'm up."

The Predacon put on the Apex Armor which began whirring as it unfolded. The armor finished forming just as Unicron reached his feet and the Predacon slammed a fist into his torso sending him lurching into the air as the Predacon kept punching him up reminding a small part of my mind how Naruto had punched Sasuke in a chain during their first fight at the Valley of the end. Unlike that fight though the Predacon finished her combo with a wicked spin kick that sent Unicron slamming into another Cybertronian boulder which immediately cracked under the impact. The femme rushed Unicron and the two began slamming punches and kicks into each other.

It was to this sight that Optimus finally arrived, the Reliquary in his hands. I glanced towards him wondering at how I missed the announcement of his return before discarding it as I said "Optimus, glad you could finally join us."

"You all have done well in holding Unicron off, Tac. Now let's finish this fight."

"Gladly, just be careful, Unicron made Starscream's frame a lot more dangerous with blades all over." I said before I frowned as Unicron kicked the Predacon femme away and slammed two fists worth of purple energy into the ground causing two of the nearby fossils to erupt in eldritch fire as they formed two Terracons that quickly rushed towards the femme.

"Oh bolts no!" Sideslash said angrily as he and Darkrush ran forward, shifting into Beast mode as they ran and slammed into the two zombies. I frowned at Unicron having inadvertently prevented those two Predacons from ever being revived before I glanced to Optimus as he actually growled and said "Tac, help our Predacon allies, I'm ending this fight."

"Got it." I said before I loaded a missile onto my right pistol and shot it at one of the Terracons who had thrown Sideslash off and was moving to chomp off his head. The missile hit its side and sent it skidding back even as I ran forward and holstered my blaster and drew my swords. A few slashes had the Terracon limbless and headless. A glance to the side showed the other Terracon dealt with as well, the eldritch creation shimmering with residual heat from the fireballs that had blasted it apart.

Looking back towards where Unicron was, I saw Optimus slam the Chaos Bringer right into the Reliquary which opened and sucked the dark being into it. Shaking my head, I said "All that struggling we did and he finishes the fight in less than a minute."

"Right tool for the job I guess." The Predacon femme said as she disengaged the Apex Armor. I grumbled to myself about having a Master Ball and still not being able to do what Optimus did before the four of us began walking over towards Optimus and as we got closer I said "Please tell me you took the time to return the All Spark to Primus before coming here."

Optimus nodded and said "Indeed Tac, the All Spark has already been returned to its rightful place."

I let out a sigh of relief at that and said "So you'll still be with us for a while yet, that's good."

The three Predacons traded confused looks but before they could ask their questions, we all heard a groan and turned to see Starscream rubbing his head as he began getting to his feet. Turning to face us, he sneered as he said "Many spark felt thanks Prime, but I'm afraid you won't be with us much longer." He flexed his sharp digits in warning as he took a stance.

The three Predacons all growled but they stopped when I held up a hand and stepped forward as I said "You're outnumbered five to one and I've already killed you once Starscream so I suggest you do the smart thing for once and surrender."

"Ah yes, my traitorous clone, I shall enjoy returning the favor you gave me." Starscream sneered at me before he lunged forward, fingers splayed. I sided stepped the rather sloppy lunge and sliced the offending hand off at the weak point of the wrist joint causing Starscream to scream in pain. As he stumbled away from me, I said "Give it up Starscream, you've had no training in using that new frame of yours and it's no longer invulnerable." I grinned as I brandished my right sword at him and continued "These swords sliced Megatron apart no problem, they can do the same to you."

Starscream's eyes widened as he took a step back as he said "You're bluffing, there's no way you could have slayed Megatron!"

"Am I?" I said as I took a threatening step forward, and continued "You have two choices here Starscream, surrender, or die." My wings extended outwards revealing the turbines in them that began whining as they began spinning in preparation of being used as I continued "Even if you try to run I will still stop you so think very carefully about what you do next."

Starscream's panicked eyes looked all around him before his body slumped as he said "Optimus, putting recent events into account it seems I must offer you my surrender."

Everyone else relaxed just a bit as the last Decepticon surrendered. The war was finally truly over.

END

Author's Notes: One last chapter before the 'movie' arc is over.


	24. Chapter 24

24\. This Is Not Goodbye

Story Start: Iacon Hall of Records

I watched as the last of five Cybertronian 'Philosopher's Stones' was carted off to its home. With Starscream captured and Unicron no longer a threat to Cybertron, Optimus was much more agreeable to making a device that could make Energon out of much less valuable materials. Turning around, I entered the building and went to the vault where the Forge was going to be kept. Ratchet was already inside and Optimus soon joined us. Putting the Forge on the ground between us, he looked between us as he said "Ratchet, Tac, while we will say our final goodbyes at a future time, I wish to take this time to say to the both of you that I am proud of your choice to further help our human companions guard Earth from any future threats. If you ever require aid, all you must do is call and we shall answer."

Ratchet and I both nodded our understanding before we put our hands over Optimus' and the Forge lit up and covered us in blue lightning. I felt the Forge changing my body, giving my T-Cog a massive overhaul that would allow me to scan multiple forms even as it gave me and Ratchet both not only the ability to turn water into energon but also to shrink down to the size of our human allies with hologram projectors so that we could properly blend in with them if needed. The Sonic Resonator on my right wrist was merged into my right arm allowing me to always have it with me.

The electricity finally receded and we got another surprise: nestled in a compartment on our left arms were a downgraded Forge that was more the length of a utility hammer rather than the war hammer of the original Forge. Taking the hammer out of its compartment, I grinned and said "Oh, this is going to be useful."

"Indeed, I recommend we make a charging station for them as soon as we are settled back on Earth." Ratchet said as he looked at his own mini-forge.

I nodded and said "Agreed Doctor, something tells me we're going to be getting quite a bit of use out of them so being able to recharge them will be necessary."

We spent a couple of minutes with Ratchet scanning us so that way he would know what he would be working with if we got injured in the future before we followed Optimus out of the vault, the door locking behind us to prevent anyone from attempting to steal the valuable artifact in the future.

Time Skip: Seven Hours Later

We stood on the edge of the Well of All Springs surrounded by our fellow Cybertronians. Standing beside their partners were the human kids while Agent Fowler and Nurse Darby were talking with Optimus, all of the humans in their armor to allow them to be on the planet's surface. My audio receptors could hear Miko tearfully saying that they would see a monster truck rally when Bulkhead visited in two months. I could only imagine how bad she would be crying if we didn't have a Space Bridge on either end of the great divide between Cybertron and Earth allowing for easy communication. Jack's voice also seemed a bit emotional as he talked with Arcee although he was able to control said emotion easier. Bumblebee and Raf seemed to be playing one last game of racing with each other wirelessly.

I was drawn from the kids saying goodbye to their partners by Skyrunner stepping forward towards me. The Beast bot clapped my right shoulder as he said "Take care of yourself Tac, and remember, if you need anything, we are just a call away."

I nodded and said "You take care as well Skyrunner, and if you need MY help, don't hesitate to call either." We clasped forearms in a warrior's shake before he walked off. Ultra Magus then walked over with Smokescreen and Wheeljack in tow.

Ultra Magus gave me a salute as he said "It's been an honor serving with you soldier."

"Likewise, Commander." I said with a returning salute.

"Don't get into too much trouble Tac." Smokescreen said with a grin as he gave me a high five.

I nodded at him, and said "You try to stay out of trouble yourself Smokescreen."

Last up was Wheeljack who rubbed the back of his head as he said "I'm no good with this goodbye stuff." Bringing his hand to clasp my forearm like Skyrunner had, he continued "So I'll just say this, you made one hell of a student kid."

I grinned and said "You weren't too bad of a teacher yourself Wheeljack. Do me a favor and keep the kid here out of trouble eh?" I pointed at Smokescreen who let out an indignant "Hey!" even as Wheeljack laughed while nodding his assent.

A few minutes later, it was time to go, a space bridge portal stood open before us as Ratchet clasped Optims' forearm and said "Farewell Optimus."

"Until we meet again old friend." The Last of the Primes said and released his arm. We gave all of the assembled Cybertronians one last look over before me and Ratchet turned and walked towards the portal, the five humans following us.

"This isn't a goodbye." I said over my shoulder as we walked through the bridge.

The Medic nodded as he continued "Merely a See You Later."

The Space Bridge closed behind us, signifying an end to this chapter of our story.

FIN

Author's Notes: ANNND Done! First multi-chapter story I've ever completed! Now, don't worry, I will be doing Robots In Disguise for a sequel, but it is not going to be the only story I'm working on. I've got two other versions, my original stories, and a few other ones I want to work on so don't expect updates for that story to be so rapid or the story to be started on for that matter for a couple of months. I'll post the schedule I want to have for my writing on my profile but it basically boils down to one chapter of a story a week, moving onto the next story at the end of said week. For now, this is Tac out.


End file.
